Lockdown Routines: Cooking Keeps Bijaya Sahoo Busy

Bijaya Sahoo, Advisor to Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan (OAVS) and Chairman of SAI International School, rustles up a new dish at home

Bhubaneswar: The 21-day countrywide lockdown, to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, has reshaped the lives of most citizens. Those who are working from home have tweaked their daily routines to make the best use of time.

For educationist Bijaya Sahoo, the lockdown has given him time to indulge in his favourite hobby — cooking. “I am experimenting new recipes everyday,” says Sahoo, Advisor, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan (OAVS) and Chairman of SAI International School.

“I wake up at 5 am and my day starts with morning walk and yoga. Work starts by connecting with all my senior staff through Google hangout. We plan for the day and begin our cloud school and hangout classes through our faculty. I have my full team working till 7 pm,” says Sahoo.

He connects with his students, around 250 of them at a time. “It’s a new experience altogether,” he says.

In the evenings, Sahoo watches Mahabharata on an OTT platform. “There are about 600 episodes… I watch it along with family members. The lockdown has given me the chance to spend quality time with my family, play indoor games, listen to my favourite old songs,” Sahoo says.

He is also getting time to read books. “I have a good library at home. Right now, I am reading Yuval Noah Harari’s ’21 Lessons for the 21st Century’.”

Sahoo has no hesitation in admitting that the lockdown has helped him understand the value of time better.