Following the initial outbreak in China late last year, coronavirus has spread across the world, changing our lives as we know it in the process. As a result of the pandemic, countries all over the world have gone into a state of lockdown. While international borders are yet to open, some countries are now beginning to ease their lockdown restrictions, all the while maintaining several regulatory measures to control the spreading of the virus.
In Dubai, we were in a semi-lockdown state from March onwards, though the government began relaxing restrictions in the first week of May. My life had taken a 360 turn since the Lockdown began. I had found a fun way to keep myself busy and occupied, however, it can get repetitive after a while. So I definitely welcomed the freedom after the lockdown!
May 16th is my favorite day of the year and an incredibly special one at that, as it is my wedding anniversary. This year it turned out to be a day of two celebrations – one of my marriage, and one of being able to step out after more than 60 days! While most people that celebrated their birthdays and anniversaries during lockdown on Zoom Calls, I knew I had to do something different. Usually, my husband and I would travel or have staycations within the country. Every year we would have big plans for our special day – why should this year be any different? But planning our anniversary this year proved to be somewhat of a challenge.
Dubai is a city known for its extravagant shopping malls, modern architecture and exciting nightlife, but unfortunately, it’s not known for its nature. And after a long time spent indoors, I was craving the great outdoors. When I travel, I love to be around nature, be it an island, a mountain, or a forest – anything. Given the situation, the only place I could think of visiting were the Al Qudra Lakes.
The Al Qudra Lakes is a series of man-made lakes built specifically to promote eco-tourism within the city. It is just a 45-minute drive away from the bustle of Dubai city center. It’s amazing how quickly you can leave the city behind, reach an Oasis in the middle of the Saih Al Salam desert. Al Qudra is where you’re surrounded by the lakes, chirping birds and impressive greenery. It’s a great spot for camping and picnics and has gained popularity as a must-visit, for Dubai locals and tourists alike, in the last few years. I was hoping to see some birds around the area, as it is known to house more than 150 species of birds. But we barely saw a swan…ah, well may be next time!
After spending a good amount of time strolling around the lakes and watching the sunset, it was time to head back to civilization. Since it was Ramadan and we were fasting, we stopped to grab some fruits and carried on with our drive. It had been a while since I’d gone for a long drive with my husband. No date nights, no pub-crawling – nothing. So all in all, I was just really grateful to be out and about with him. During the lockdown, only one of us could leave the house, with a permit, for a maximum of 3 hours.
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As per the new rules, the curfew began at 10pm. To adhere to this, we ended our day by heading to The Walk @ Jumeirah Beach Residence for a dine-in at one of our favorite restaurants, The Butcher Shop & Grill. On a “normal” day this would be the most crowded public place in Dubai. However, things were different now. Nevertheless, I was simply glad to leave home and step out. I felt as though I was free and out of a cage (figuratively, of course). As I walked on the streets of The Walk and being around people made me slightly anxious. I felt as though I wasn’t ready to interact with them yet. But I did fairly well for my first time.
I realized a few things in a few hours of my “first day out” in Dubai, after the lockdown. I believe we need to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for a new “normal”. We need to be strong during this uncertainty. If the nature of business permits, I’d encourage people to continue working from home temporarily or permanently. Look at the restrictions that are still in place, positively. They exist to protect your health and are helping save lives.
My suggestion is to meet your family and friends is smaller groups and meet outdoors, as much as possible. There is evidence that depicts that the transmission rate outdoors is a lot lower than indoors.
Lockdown gave us an opportunity to slow down, focus on our priorities and make better choices going forward. Its important we stay positive and take it one day at a time and move on.
Enjoyed the read above, check out my blog post about how to stay productive during the pandemic.
