“So, Adi, what do you want to know about spices?” These were the words that started my evening at Iqbal’s, an old family friend and professor of management at UMass Amherst alongside my parents. Although his department is that of economics, his expertise, in my opinion, lies in the realm of authentic Kashmiri cooking. He taught me and my parents how food is traditionally eaten by hand in India, how they were often served in large, metal bowls in which the individual components of the meal were free to mix, and now (at the behest of my parents) I’d come to learn about the nuances of spice in Iqbal’s cultural background. Admittedly, I had no idea what questions to ask or where to start, but thankfully Iqbal came prepared for this lesson. He opened a large drawer underneath the counter, revealing countless honey-jars repurposed for spice containment. “In just about all religions, spices have been used as disinfectant,” Iqbal tells me as he passes me a handful of cloves, prom...
I think having the opportunity to take Smells and Bells and then experiencing a worldwide pandemic came with good timing. Oftentimes, we’re so rushed to get from one one place to another that we miss out on what happens around us. We’re so accustomed to the lifestyle of being busy that it has become the norm for many of us. However, the pandemic has forced us to slow down. We’re now appreciating everything that we had previously taken for granted and noticing things in our surroundings that we have never noticed before. 
Take this quarantining/social distancing as an opportunity to be more aware of what you experience through the senses. I don’t think my senses have necessarily heightened over the past 5 weeks, but I am actively making the choice to pay more attention to what I see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. I like going on nature/mindfulness walks and basking in the sunshine out in my backyard. This morning, I could hear a faint noise from the wind, hear the birds chirping, feel the soft grass under my feet (I had no shoes on), see the blossoms on my apple tree blooming, see the blueness of the sky, smell the strawberry shampoo that I had washed my hair with, and taste the toothpaste that I had used when I brushed my teeth. We use our ability of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling to not only make sense of the world around us, but also to appreciate all the beauty that the world offers for free. Step outside your house and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. 
This is something that I really relate to. It's like because we all became somewhat distanced from things that made up our life we're all feeling this sense of appreciation for all the small things we usually don't have time for. I've always believed that with bad comes good, and with all the negatives and the suddenness of this pandemic it was difficult at first to find that good. Maybe this class was what allowed us to recognize what an amazing opportunity this is for us to just be. Yes we still have classes and work and life after the pandemic, but right here and now it feels amazing to just be.
ReplyDeleteI respect and appreciate not only your post, but our other class mates who have written something similar to this. It takes a lot to be able to realize the positive and good things we have despite the scary parts of our world right now. It is comforting to know how many of us are able to tap into our senses and experience things in a deeper way right now.
ReplyDeleteI agree that during quarantine, my senses really heightened. The little things, or sometimes doing absolutely nothing seems to bring me a peace of mind.
ReplyDeleteit keeps coming up that sense perceptions are not just passive receptions of the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, touches in our surrounding, but also can involve focus, intentional efforts to pay attention, to discern specific things that pique our interest. How much the more so when the pandemic deprives us of many of the sensory opportunities we took for granted. Nice reflections, Karen, et al.
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