2020: A Bizarre Year, Its Challenges, And Its Positive Take Outs

What a year 2020 was for Planet Earth! Life almost came to a standstill for large parts of the world due to the Corina Virus Pandemic. At the time of writing, there have been a total of over 78 million cases cumulatively across the world, and more than 1.7 million people have died from the pandemic. The scale of the tragedy has been almost unheard of in the history of mankind. Many people have also seen their livelihoods suffer immensely, and the global economy has taken a significant hit.

I am sure each person has a story to tell about their year. There will be countless stories of misery, pain, losses, and hardships. There are also some positive, heartening stories of hope and new beginnings. Like everyone, I also have a story to tell about this year. I would like to share my challenges, as well as the positive take-outs.

The Challenges:

• Several people I know came down with Covid. Some of them were effected quite badly with the symptoms. A few of them sadly didn't make it.
• Even after the lock-down was lifted in India, my wife, my son, our full-time help, and I led a fairly isolated existence. It's not as if we didn't step out of our Gurgaon condo at all, but we kept outings to a minimum. We stopped having people over at our place, and we stopped visiting people. Social interactions were severely curtailed. The only exception we made in terms of visits was that we regularly visited my elder sister's Delhi home, which is my family's anchor-point, and the home that my late parents built.
• The restrictions have not been easy on our high-energy, outdoor-loving, 6 year old son, who has been confined at home, something he was not used to at all.
• Online schooling has been tough for our son, because he finds online classes very boring. He misses the social interactions with his classmates. He misses the fun aspects of school. The pressure on parents has gone up on account of online schooling. I spend several hours a day on his school work, between classes and homework.
• I have not been getting much time to myself, because a large part of my day is spent with our son. Previously he had school, and would play outside with his friends for several hours a day. Now the poor fellow is at home all day, with no company his age. Keeping him occupied, engaged, and entertained are not always easy. 
• My business has been hit considerably. The hit was more acute than in many other sectors, because I work in the travel sector, running an Indian travel souvenir company, Memory Marg.
• My biggest passion in life is travelling around the world, and this was the first year in close to two decades that I could not travel. Trips from Gurgaon to Delhi were all the travel we managed after Covid struck! We had managed a trip to Bangalore at the beginning of the year, before the pandemic had hit, but that was to be our only outing for the year.

The Positives Take-outs:

• I learned how little one actually needs to survive comfortably. Despite the lack of travel, parties, eating out, and movie outings, one managed quite comfortably.
• We were lucky that our supplies of essentials were not hit for a single day, thanks to the great infrastructure in our Gurgaon condo, and thanks to online shopping.
• My wife and I both had the flexibility of working entirely from home, so there was no pressure to go to the office.
• The lack of outings had one positive - we ended up saving a fair amount of money. We love to travel, but it of course digs a deep hole in our pockets, so this year has been a year of consolidating savings and investing them wisely.
• My wife and I both did new things professionally. My wife became an entrepreneur coach. I wrote my first book - "Standing Up Tall Against Bullying". Though my book may not have been a big money spinner for me, it still gave a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
• My wife and I, more so my wife, got more social media savvy, and started using it for our business. It was good to pick up some new skills, and learn more about social media.
• Our son learned a new skill-set. He started playing the piano, and has picked up more than 30 songs from scratch. My wife is a skilled pianist herself, and she trained him, with the help of online tools that were available.
• Our son learned how to spend time doing things independently to entertain himself. So he started drawing, playing with Lego, and reading books.
• We learned how to socialize without visiting people's homes or having people over. We met friends and relatives at parks and walked with them, maintaining proper social distancing. Meeting my two sisters and their immediate families became a regular practice for us at Delhi's Nehru Park, and my sister's German Shepherd was an integral part of those meetings! Technology also ensured that we could stay in touch with family and friends all over the world, through regular video calls and WhatsApp.
• Since work came to a complete standstill for a couple of months, I was able to complete my backlog of travel blogs, something I had been planning for years. I managed to write over 40 blogs. So in addition to mindless entertainment, I feel I managed to do some productive things as well.
• Despite offline business being hit, my business on Amazon has been fairly good, barring a 6 week interruption. That was really a saving grace!
• In recent months, offline business has also started resumed a bit thankfully!
• Thanks to my wife's persistence, I got a little serious about fitness. I lost almost 10 kg, thanks to regular walking, exercising, and dieting. I did nothing drastic, but the results still came through sheer regularity. My wife also had similar results. As she often says about my weight loss, her nagging capability is more powerful than my stubbornness! In this case, I shall say thank God for that!
• A lot of families went through conflict, because family members were forcibly spending all their time together in close quarters, with no outlet, no escape possible! However, by and large, my wife, my son, and I survived quite happily together, we got quality family time, and we strengthened family bonds.

So yes, 2020 has been a challenging year for me and my family, as it has been for countless people all over the world, but there is a silver lining in almost every situation, and there were several positive take-outs for us. I must express my gratitude that we were safe through the year, and we had our basics covered without life coming to a complete standstill! I realise only to well that not everyone was that lucky! Here's hoping for happier days for Planet Earth in 2021!

Me in our condo lawn in Gurgaon

Me at Delhi's Nehru Park

Our son with the family dog at Delhi's Nehru Park

My wife at her piano

Our son at Delhi's Nehru Park

Highlights Of Men's Tennis In 2020

2020: The Year That Was...

2020 was a bizarre year in almost every walk of life, due to the Corona Virus. Tennis was no exception, as the sport was badly hit by the global impact of the pandemic, and a majority of the year's tournaments got cancelled. For close to half the year, there was absolutely no action in the world of tennis, and the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) took a decision to freeze the 2019 ranking points for all tournaments that were scheduled to be held from March onwards till the end of the year. 

The ranking points were frozen from March 23rd till August 23rd, but even after action resumed in August, there was no compulsion for players to compete in tournaments from a rankings point of view, because their ranking points from 2019 would still hold good for the few tournaments that were held once play resumed. If the players did better in the same tournament in 2020 than they did in 2019, then the 2020 points would carry - otherwise the 2019 points would carry.

Despite the turmoil in the year's calendar, we still saw several big tournaments being held in 2020, including three of the four Grand Slams (the Australian Open, the US Open, and the French Open), three of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments (the Western and Southern Open, the Rome Masters, and the Rolex Paris Masters), and the year-end Nitto ATP Finals.

The Year's Big Tournament Winners:

The big tournaments saw the following winners:

Australian Open - Novak Djokovic (defeated Dominic Thiem)

US Open - Dominic Thiem (defeated Alexander Zverev)

French Open - Rafael Nadal (defeated Novak Djokovic)

Western and Southern Open - Novak Djokovic (defeated Milos Raonic)

Rome Masters - Novak Djokovic (defeated Diego Schwartzman)

Rolex Paris Masters - Daniil Medvedev (defeated Alexander Zverev)

Nitto ATP Finals - Daniil Medvedev (defeated Dominic Thiem)

Novak Djokovic
Image Courtesy Google Images

The Year-End Top 10:

At the end of the year, we saw the following players finishing in the top 10:

1. Novak Djokovic, Serbia (12,030 points) [no.2 in 2019]

2. Rafael Nadal, Spain (9,850 points) [no.1 in 2019]

3. Dominic Thiem, Austria (9,125 points) [no.4 in 2019]

4. Daniil Medvedev, Russia (8,470 points) [no.5 in 2019]

5. Roger Federer, Switzerland (6,630 points) [no.3 in 2019]

6. Stefano Tsitsipas, Greece (5,925 points) [no.6 in 2019]

7. Alexander Zverev, Germany (5,525 points) [no.7 in 2019]

8. Andrey Rublev, Russia (4,119 points) [no.23 in 2019]

9. Diego Schwartzman, Argentina (3,455 points) [no.14 in 2019]

10. Matteo Berrettini, Italy (3,075 points) [no.8 in 2019]

Rafael Nadal
Image Courtesy Google Images

Highlights of the Year's Top 10 Players:

Djokovic finished as the world no.1 for the 6th time, tying the record of Pete Sampras. It was Djokovic's 13th year in the Top 10. The year saw him claim his 17th Grand Slam title. Djokovic also created history by taking his Masters 1000 tally up from 34 to 36, overtaking Nadal's record of 35. Djokovic's 2,000 points from his 2019 Wimbledon victory counted towards his tally of points. 

Nadal finished in the Top 10 for the 16th consecutive year. He won the French Open for a mindboggling 13th time, which also gave him his 20th Grand Slam title, equaling Roger Federer's record. His 2,000 points from his 2019 US Open victory helped him end the year at no.2. Without playing the US Open (a decision he took in order to prepare for the postponed French Open, which was just weeks later), he got to keep his points from the previous year.

Thiem emerged as a real challenger to the top of the sport, with his first Grand Slam title. He also made it to the Australian Open final, and repeated his 2019 achievement of reaching the final of the Nitto ATP Finals. This was his fifth consecutive year in the Top 10, and at no.3, it was his highest finish to date. In the Nitto ATP Finals, he upset both Djokovic and Nadal en route to the final.

Medvedev had an erratic year, but finished strongly, getting to the US Open semi final, winning his third Masters 1000 title, and remaining undefeated to win the Nitto ATP Finals (where he beat the world's top three players in the world - Djokovic, Nadal, and Thiem). He improved on his 2019 year-end ranking of no.5.

Federer participated in just one tournament in the year, at the Australian Open, where he reached the semi final. He didn't play again the whole year because of injury. His year-end ranking of no.5 was thanks to the freeze in ranking points, because 2019 had been a great year for him (it included the classic Wimbledon final, where Djokovic narrowly edged him out for the title). It was Federer's 18th year in the Top 10, which is an all-time record. The year saw him turn 39 years old, and it is incredible that he is still a major power in the sport!

Tsitsipas finished 2019 in style, winning the Nitto ATP Finals. In 2020, he added to his list of accomplishments by getting to the French Open semi final. 

Zverev finished in the top 10 for the fourth straight year. He finished at no.4 in both 2017 and in 2018. This year saw him finish at no.7 like in 2019, but in terms of Grand Slams, it was a breakthrough year for him, because he got to his first Grand Slam semi final (at the Australian Open) and his first Grand Slam final (at the US Open).

Rublev won an impressive 5 tournaments in the year, and got to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. He also finished the year with 41 wins on the tour, which was the year's highest, along with Djokovic. This was his first Top 10 finish, as he climbed from no.23 to no.8.

Schwartzman had a stellar year, finishing at no.9, his highest ever ranking. He got to his first ever Masters 1000 final, in Rome, and followed it up with his first Grand Slam semi final appearance (at the French Open).

Berrettini rounded up the Top 10, slipping down two notches from his 2019 no.8 year-end ranking. He also benefitted from the ranking points freeze, as his 2019 US Open semi final showing kept his points alive.

Dominic Thiem
Image Courtesy Google Images

What to expect in 2021:

As 2021 draws near, there are lots of things to look forward to, and lots of mouth-watering questions to be answered!

Will Djokovic surpass Federer's record of 310 weeks as world no.1? By the end of 2020, he will have spent a cumulative of 301 weeks at no.1, so he just needs to hang on till March to create a new record.

Will Djokovic add to his haul of 17 Grand Slam titles and threaten the record of 20, which Federer and Nadal jointly hold? Will Djokovic create history with a 7th year as the year-end no.1? 

Will Nadal add to his staggering 13 French Open titles? Will Nadal overtake Federer's haul of 20 Grand Slam titles? Will Nadal join Sampras and Djokovic and make it 6 years as the year-end world no.1?

Will Thiem get to world no.1? He is certainly knocking on the door.

Will Federer make a remarkable come-back from injury, the way he did in 2017? In 2017, he returned from injury and won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. That year saw him go from no.16 in the rankings (2016 had been an injury plagued year for him and saw him out of the Top 10 for the first time since 2002) to no.2 in the rankings, behind Nadal.

Will Federer add to his collection of 20 Grand Slam titles? Will Federer still have it in him to remain one of the world's top players, as he approaches the age of 40? 

Will three of the most promising next gen players - Zverev, Tsitsipas, and Medvedev - win their first Grand Slam title? Thiem finally joined the elite club of Grand Slam winners in 2020, after a Runners Up finish on three previous occasions. 

Will we see new talent threaten the top echelons of the game? Players like Rublev have certainly shown signs of it, and youngsters like Shapovalov, Aliassime, and Sinner have steadily climbed the rankings, and could be future champions.

Looking forward to an exciting 2021 in the world of men's tennis!

My Visual Travel Experience: Bhubaneswar

In 2007, I got a chance to visit Bhubaneswar on work. As I always did whenever I got the opportunity, I clubbed my work with a weekend, and managed to stay in the city for three days. I visited some of the city's best known temples, and I also had an added incentive - back then, my cousin was living there with her British husband. It was great to spend time with them. And it was a delightful experience to see the city's ancient, yet beautiful temples!

Bhubaneswar is the capital of the eastern Indian state of Odisha. The city has a population of over 830,000 and is also popularly known as the Temple City of India, thanks to the large number of well known temples it boasts of. 

The history of the region can be traced back to the 7th century BC. Many of the city’s temples date back to the 7th to the 14th centuries, and are a beautiful example of Kalinga architecture. The Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, annexed Kalinga in 262 BC. In subsequent centuries, the region was ruled by several dynasties – the Mahameghavahana Dynasty, the Satavahana Dynasty, the Gupta Dynasty, the Matharas Dynasty, the Shailodbhava Dynasty, the Keshari Dynasty (which ruled from the 7th century till the 14th century), and the Karrani Dynasty.

In the 16th century, the region came under Mughal control. In the mid 18th century, the Marathas came to power. In 1803, the British took control. The region was then a part of the Bengal Presidency (1803-1912), Bihar and Orissa Province (1912-1936), and Orissa Province (1936-1947). After India’s independence from the British in 1947, Cuttack was made the capital of Orissa.

Despite the region’s rich history, Bhubaneswar itself is a modern city. The German architect, Otto Konigsberger, designed it in 1946. In 1949, the capital of Orissa shifted from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar. The decision was taken due to space constraints in Cuttack, and the city’s vulnerability to floods. Bhubaneswar is one of India’s few planned, modern cities, along with Chandigarh and Jamshedpur. In 2011, the name of Orissa was changed formally to Odisha. 

Lingaraja Temple is the city’s largest and best known temple. It has a 55 meter tall tower. The temple has a large complex wall, and there are a total of over 50 shrines inside. Lingaraja Temple dates back to the 11th century.

Lingaraja Temple

Rajarani Temple was built in the 11th century. It is also known as “Love Temple” because of the erotic sculptures of women along the temple’s pillars. The temple’s tower rises to a height of 18 meters. 

Rajarani Temple

Apsara, Rajarani Temple

Carved Pillar, Rajarani Temple

Mukteswar Temple is a 10th century temple. The temple has a distinctive torana, or entrance gateway, that makes it stand apart from other Bhubaneswar temples. The tower is 10.5 meters tall. The temple’s interior has beautiful sculptures of female forms, with nagas and naginis. 

Mukteswar Temple

Main Shrine, Mukteswar Temple

Gateway, Mukteswar Temple

Linga, Mukteswar Temple

Parasurameswara Temple dates back to the 7th century. It is one of the city’s oldest temples, and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple has a tower that has a height of 12 meters. It is a ticketed monument, maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). 

Parasurameswara Temple

Siddheshwar Temple dates back to the 10th century. It is situated within the premises of Mukteswar Temple. The sanctum sanctorum is dedicated to Lord Shiva, but the temple is also famous for a Ganesh idol. 

Siddheshwar Temple

I didn't get to see all the famous temples in the Temple City of India, but I did get to see some of the best known ones. The sheer beauty of the temples was mesmerising, and I was even more awe-struck when I discovered that the temples I saw were all around a thousand years old! It was also very heartening that the temples have been maintained well, and kept very clean. All in all, Bhubaneswar was a pleasure to visit.

My Visual Travel Experience: Venice

I've had the opportunity of visiting Venice on a couple of occasions. I went there as a teenager on a family trip in the late 1980s, and then I went for a few days in 2007. I was really taken in by this unique, beautiful city, with its unique canals and bridges, and its grand churches. On my first visit, I had my pouch around my neck, and my pouch had my passport and other valuables. As a restless teenager, I was on a gondola ride, and I started swinging my pouch around. It slipped from my hands and fell into the Grand Canal! Gosh, that could have had disastrous consequences, but the friendly gondola rider of the gondola behind ours managed to use his oar to fish out my pouch!

Venice is one of the world’s most unique cities. It has a population of about 260,000, and is situated in north-eastern Italy. It is built on a group of 118 small islands, separated by canals, and connected by 400 bridges. No vehicles are allowed in the city, and one has to go either by foot or by boat. Public transport in Venice means going in the boat “buses”! Venice is considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful and romantic cities, and is immensely popular with tourists. The city has been sinking at the rate of 1 to 2 mm per year, and this has been an area of concern.

The city was the capital of the Republic of Venice from 697 to 1797. In the medieval ages, Venice was a major centre for finance, trade, culture, music, and art. It was an extremely prosperous city, but it was devastated by the Black Death in 1348 and 1575-77, and by the Plague in 1629-31. The Republic of Venice was annexed in 1797 by the Austrian Empire after the Napoleonic Wars. In 1866, it became a part of the Kingdom of Italy. 

The Grand Canal runs through the city, and is the widest of Venice’s many canals. It ends in the sea, close to the city’s main landmark, St Mark’s Basilica. Venice has numerous churches, and St Mark’s Basilica is by far the best known. From the many bridges present in the city, Rialto Bridge is the most famous. The city is also known for the Doge’s Palace, close to St Mark’s Basilica, and several prominent museums. 

The world renowned St Mark’s Basilica has stunning Italo – Byzantine architecture. The church dates back to the 11th century. The church is famous for the Horses of St Mark, the interior based on a Greek cross, a series of domes, mosaics covering the interior, and the treasury. The basilica stands close to the end of the Grand Canal, where it meets the Adriatic Sea.

St Mark's Basilica

Mosaic, St Mark's Basilica

Mosaic of the Deposition, St Mark's Basilica

St Mark’s Square is a large public square outside St Mark’s Basilica. Besides the basilica, other landmarks along the large square include the 98 meter tall St Mark’s Campanile (the basilica’s bell tower), and St Mark’s Clock Tower (completed in 1499). At any time of day, the large square is full of tourists, and countless pigeons! There are many restaurants and cafes around the square.

St Mark's Square

St Mark's Campanile, St Mark's Square

St Mark's Clock Tower, St Mark's Square

Santa Maria della Salute is a Roman Catholic church built in 1687. The white coloured church has a large dome. The church was built after a major outbreak of the plague in 1630, where scores of Venetians were killed.

Santa Maria della Salute

San Giorgio Maggiore is a Beneditine church on San Giorgio island. The church was completed in 1610. From the campanile (Bell tower), one gets great views of Venice. 

San Giorgio Maggiore

San Giorgio dei Greci is a Greek Orthodox church, completed towards the end of the 16th century. The white coloured church has a dome and a bell tower. The interior boasts of some famous icons.

San Giorgio dei Greci

Santa Maria della Pieta is a church that was completed in 1760. It lies adjacent to the Doge’s Palace, near St Mark’s Basilica. The interior has fresco paintings by the famous Italian artist, Tiepolo. 

Santa Maria della Pieta

Vittoria Emmanuelle II Statue outside Santa Maria della Pieta

San Zaccaria is a church completed in 1515. The interior of the church has some prominent works of art by famous painters like Giovanni Bellini. 

San Zaccaria

Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges over the Grand Canal. The stone arch bridge was completed in 1591. Two covered ramps, full of shops, lead up to a covered portico. The bridge is a major tourist attraction.

Rialto Bridge

Ponte della Paglia is a bridge completed in 1847. The original bridge was built in 1360. The bridge offers a great view of the Bridge of Sighs.

Ponte della Paglia

The Venetian experience is incomplete without a romantic gondola ride along the city’s canals - gondola riders sing romantic Italian songs to couples.

Gondola Riders at St Mark's Square

Venice is truly fascinating. Yes, the city is not without its share of troubles, because it is often prone to flooding, plus the sheer number of tourists can be quite daunting. Still, the city has a charm like no other place. The city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is rightly known by various apt names, including "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "Floating City", and "City of Canals". An unmissable experience indeed!

My Visual Travel Experience: Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city has a population of approximately 1.8 million, and is the city's second largest city after Dubai. The government of the UAE, the Supreme Petroleum Council, and the President of the UAE are all based in Abu Dhabi. The city is highly developed and prosperous, thanks to its large oil reserves. It is the country's centre of politics, culture and industry, though many would argue it lags behind Dubai in terms of business, finance, and tourism.

Abu Dhabi literally means "father of the gazelle". Historically, the region had an abundance of gazelles. In 1793, the Nahyan family, which currently rules Abu Dhabi, moved to the region because of the presence of freshwater. In its early years, Abu Dhabi had a thriving pearl diving industry. In the 1930s, oil exploration started in a big way. In the late 1950s oil was struck, and in subsequent years, there were other significant oil finds that led to a lot of prosperity in the region.

Abu Dhabi was planned under the guidance of Sheikh Zayed in 1967 by a Japanese architect. It was originally planned for a population of 40,000. The city has a high-rise financial district, which includes the iconic Etihad Towers. Other landmarks of Abu Dhabi include the super luxury hotel, Emirates Palace; one of the world’s largest mosques, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; the popular amusement park, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi; and Louvre Abu Dhabi, a large museum set up in collaboration with the French government.

Emirates Palace is a luxury hotel that opened in 2005 and is operated by the Kempinski Group. The hotel has a grand dome, and 114 other smaller domes. The hotel was constructed at a cost of USD 3 billion! The hotel consists of almost 400 residences. The penthouse floor has six rulers’ suites for dignitaries.

Emirates Palace

Lobby, Emirates Palace

Interior of the Dome, Emirates Palace

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was completed in 2007 and is the largest mosque in the UAE. The huge mosque can accommodate 40,000 people, and the main hall can take 7,000 worshippers. The four minarets at the four corners rise to a height of 107 meters., while the dome has a height of 85 meters. The carpet in the main prayer hall is one of the world’s largest carpets. The mosque’s largest chandelier has a height of 15 meters. 

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Interior with Chandelier, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Wall Motif, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Heritage Village is an artificial village that showcases local culture. It has a museum that has  everyday objects traditionally used by the local population. It also has recreations of local architecture with wind tunnels.

Wind Tunnel, Heritage Village

Belt, Heritage Village

Manuscript, Heritage Village

Sock, Heritage Village

Pot, Heritage Village

Ferrari World is an amusement park on Yas Island. It opened in 2010. It has the world’s fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa. The park features various models of the iconic Ferrari car that can be seen. At an extra cost, one can also have the experience of driving a Ferrari oneself. There are also 4 D rides on offer, and a ride through miniature Italy. 

Red Ferrari from the 1960s, Ferrari World

Silver Ferrari, Ferrari World

Roller Coaster, Ferrari World

Etihad Towers are a series of five towers, the tallest of which stands at a height of 305 meters.  The complex was completed in 2011 and had an observatory at 281 meters. The towers feature offices, apartments and a luxury hotel.

Etihad Towers

Abu Dhabi is famous for its large malls, and its traditional markets, and is quite a shoppers' paradise. Some of the city's best known shopping destinations include Abu Dhabi Mall, Marina Mall, Yas Mall, World Trade Center Mall, and the traditional Fish Market.

Abu Dhabi Mall

Interior, Abu Dhabi Mall

Marina Mall

Interior, Yas Mall

Fish Market

I spent a day in Abu Dhabi in 2016, during a visit to UAE where I spent most of my time in Dubai, but I also visited Sharjah. I was very impressed by Abu Dhabi's wealth and prosperity, its sky scrapers and architecture, the uber luxurious Emirates Palace, and Sheikh Zayed Mosque. My visit was just before the inauguration of Louvre Abu Dhabi - visiting that would be a compelling reason to go the the city again!