Senses.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has been a lot about senses. From the loss of senses to the recovery, there have been varied experiences. I personally, had to never undergo any loss of senses as a matter of Covid symptoms but instead the levels in day-to-day scenarios time and again reminded of this word.

In order to look closely, I started with recollecting the story or instance each sense would bring me back to and I came up with the following list:

Each of the stories I got back to resonates with an important part through the last year and the senses I associated them to. For example, I made an excel sheet of movies I watched last year with important details about the film. However, I have hardly updated the list this year or watched as many films. As a result of the films, I watched I designed posters. Since going out was not an option, being popcorn-ready at home was a good choice. Or a noticeable change in habits when I switched from a body wash to a bar of soap. I preferred using a body wash because of the fragrance and since I didn't have to meet anyone anymore I switched to using soaps. The presence of a soft toy that resembles a bear has been the closest example of a touch, hug, and companionship during these touchy times. The meaning of all these senses has shifted with the context yet the sentiment of being at loss in some way or the other lingers.

The various posts to follow explore the five human senses through various mediums and lead to a more personal narrative collected for the Covid 19 Pandemic Archive.

- Namita Kalve.