We’re past the midpoint of October, with just 2 weeks left in the month. We are left with just 10 complete weeks on the calendar until 2022. It’s probably too early to start talking about next year because a lot can happen in the days between now and the new year. However, I already feel a building excitement for next year.

Back to the present… I’m still on the digital declutter experiment (for more information, check here). As I reported last week, my expectations coming into this experiment and the realities on ground aren’t really matching up. I have learned to embrace the discrepancy as part of my learning curve. I’m taking things as they come while working on building the right habits.

Now, to the weekly updates…

The PassCode

A couple of months ago, I published a post where I shared some of my thoughts regarding the COVID vaccines and related matters. Over time, the COVID narrative keeps evolving, with each episode seeming more interesting than the last.

The latest installment around here premiered during the week. News has it that there’s a new wave of the virus with people falling ill at an increased rate. Recently, in a rather dramatic move, the city’s government decided to enforce stricter restrictions to push more people towards taking the vaccine.

It was announced that without the vaccination QR code, you will be denied access to malls, eateries, theatres, concerts, recreational centres, and even gyms. This move was a sudden one and unexpected too. I had thought it was a joke when I first got wind of it, but coming into the week, it became clear that they meant business.

We can say that their strategy is working as people are turning up in droves to be vaccinated. Some hospitals and clinics are fully booked for the month, and vaccination centres have endless queues of people waiting all day to get the vaccine. Statistics show that tens of thousands are getting the vaccine daily as they need to regain access to places with such restrictions.

What’s my current stand? Well, I still have my reservations on the matter, and I’ll continue stalling on taking the vaccine for as long as possible. Some people think that they’ll ease the restrictions with time, while others believe it’ll only get worse from here on. I’m not sure what will be in the nearest future. For now, we keep watching from the sides.

Out And About

My personal highlight for the week revolves around content creation. Currently working on some photo and video projects simultaneously amidst other ongoing projects (I’m notorious for having a lot of open tabs at once… can’t seem to help it).

I spent multiple hours in the week editing photos and a few more outdoors creating both photo and video content. Some outings turned out okay, and others, not so good. On one such outing, we were kicked out of a location where we planned to shoot some clips. We thought we could use the facility for free, and we got to work. Not long after we began, the security personnel in charge approached us and asked us to leave. I guess nothing is free after all.

In other news, I rediscovered my love for street photography after not engaging for months. I had explored this genre in mid-2020, at the peak of the lockdown. I got “bored” with staying home all day, so I resorted to roaming the streets in my vicinity with a camera in hand, taking pictures of whatever caught my fancy. It was a beautiful experience.

Fast forward to a few months later, the workload from my final year in college would force me to slow down on the roaming, and I soon forgot how much I enjoyed being out there. Well, I ventured out within the week, and I was quickly reminded of how much beauty there is around us.

There’s something about candid photography that makes it uniquely special. I’m not sure if it’s the oblivion of the people being captured as they go about their business, or the fact that the expressions in the frames are “candid”. Capturing people (or elements) interacting with other elements in their environment helps you appreciate the ubiquitous presence of beauty. I’m looking to step out more often.

Moving on…

I’m not sure how the next two weeks would pan out, but just like with every other thing, we’re very hopeful. I also hope that your month is shaping up as well as planned:)

Until next week… stay safe!✌🏾