Greeting all!
It was the month of march 2020. I was in Karachi preparing for my entry test for BS.
Everyone was discussing about the Covid epidemic in China that was affecting and killing thousands of people there.
Unaware of the fact that this epidemic will soon become a global pandemic and reach almost every country of the world killing millions.
One day,I woke up late and found everyone in the hostel in chaos, running here and there, searching for their possessions, packing their stuff. They all looked in a hurry.
I inquired from a friend of mine and he told me that the First case of Covid-19 pandemic in Pakistan has been registered.
The most feared global pendemic has reached our beloved country and the govt. has imposed an immediate lockdown all over the country.
All public transport will be closed from tomorrow and Markets, offices, schools and colleges will be closed for an indefinite period.
The result was Chaos. People from the Mega cities rushed back towards their villages. Everyone was terrified by the situation and so were we.
Me and my friends packed our stuff and went to the railway station of Karachi which was packed with crowd. Thousands of people with tons of luggage, eager to go go back to their hometowns. People from every province and every significant place of Pakistan, speaking various languages , wearing different cultural outfits but a single expression on all faces FEAR.
Fear of the uncertainity of the situation.
No one knew what was going to happen next. No one knew the lethality of the desease except what was told in the Media.
Somehow we managed to get in the train that was already full of passengers way more than its capacity. There was no place to sit properly. We travelled for hours across the country and the crowd in train slowly began to discipate.
When I Reached my station, only a few people were left in my coach.
Then started the second Phase of my pendemic experience.
I spent the next few weeks locked inside my house watching News about the pendemic on TV. Covid was lethal as expected but death rate in Pakistan was very low as compared to other major countries of the world.
There was not much to do in home as I was not allow to roam outside and internet was too slow.
Later, the slow internet became more problematic than the pendamic.
Few months later, our classes started but Not in University campus but online on our laptops and PCs. That was the time when the slow internet played its part.
After months of online classes and internet problem, finally the Covid looked in control and it was announced that classes will be taken in university.
I was excited a lot and so were my friends. Few days later we came to university campus and started out on campus classes.
It was exciting to move back into the classes after months of Boring Zoom video lectures. We enjoyed a lot but then it all vanished like it never happened.
Now, that few weeks look like a dream.
Soon the cases started to rise in the country and govt closed the universities again. We came back to the same spot from which we started.
Online classes started again but i knew that nothing was On-line.
I was never good with technology and computers but now it was inevitable. It took me a month to figure out how this "Online-classes" thing works.
And still it required a lot of focus and a lot more patience to take Online video lectures with super slow internet. Ultimately it affected our grades and GPA.
But there was no other option, so slowly and steadily, we continued.
Now, its been a long time since corona virus changed our lifestyles. I am getting used to it. Lectures feel less boring and slow internet does not tease me any more.
I have become a lot more patient.
I have spent the last one and a half year at home with my family. l know them a lot more than before.
People are adjusting according to the situation and finding new ways to do their work. Many are helping those who became jobless due to Covid. Many others have benefited form the situation to earn more.
The pandemic has taught us the lesson that times change. And you have to change according to the situation in order to survive. It is like the Darwin's theory of evolution.
And we have evoluted alot by the course of the pandemic.
Sincerely,
Muhammad Asim Naseem
100
Aero_19 (A)