What I am reading during these bleak Covid lockdown//wintery//all-places-closed-nowhere-to-go//nothing-great-on-netflix days

 This Family day, long weekend in February has been especially annoying. 

I have so much to do at home, but no mood to do it. 

I am finding favorite foods boring. 

Nothing on Netflix is holding my interest....I finished the Superstore, which I really loved !

 I have borrowed a lot of books from library but can't seem to find it in me to read. 

It's freezing out there and so I can't/won't go for walks.

Driving around makes me feel guilty about wasting precious-though-affordable-petrol.

I am sick and tired of playing the games on phone and computer.

The news is too terrible to read(Indian news...US news...world news..)

I am not really a sports person nor music nor a person with 'productive' hobbies and interests

For once in my life, I am up-to-date with my reports (from work) and not much to do there (But even if I had some work, I think, I would not have done it in these three days of holidays)

I don't have much to say to friends and so I am not calling them . I am also worried they will think I am needy if I keep calling them and have nothing to say!

Soooooooooooo I decided to reborrow and read a few of my favorites from the library. 

I went through the list of book, I have read to find something which is cheerful,  happy endings but is also crime fiction.  Going through the list I realized Shamini Flint's Inspector Singh series fits the bill!

So I borrowed and finished the first in the list and have placed order for the next one. I really enjoyed re-reading this book. Thanks to have an atrociously poor memory, I had forgotten most of it and enjoyed it. Some things which makes this series charming and unique are: 

1) There is no sex like in books by western authors of crime fiction.  Many TV shows and crime fiction novels have a lot of adultery or at least lots of sexual liaisons between the main protagonists that is the detectives and this is something which I find 'unreal'. I cannot believe that people in real life go around sleeping with their colleagues or outside relationships. I strongly believe that these sex scenes are put in only to boost sales of books and that  to me is a really a pathetic reason to shoe in an unrealistic thing into a novel or TV show.  Inspector Singh comes across as a really real person...nothing strikes me as fake or made up about him, his wife or their relationship. And it is so intensely comforting for me to come across such a character (Indian origin!!!) in novels. 

2) Flint's language is great and I like her humor...especially her observations of people, culture, life in Singapore, etc. 

3) The crimes she covers brings to light about the corruption and nature of crimes and criminals in the east. One learns a lot about how life of the common man is in these countries. I have read other books set in the east but these are my favorite. It's too bad she has stopped writing the Inspector Singh series. There are still a few countries in the east where Singh could have gone and solved crimes in and given up a bit more joy!

Shamini Flint 

Inspector Singh investigates a most peculiar Malaysian murder (2009)

Inspector Singh investigates a Bali conspiracy most foul (2009)

Inspector Singh investigates the Singapore school of villainy (2010)
 Inspector Singh investigates a deadly Cambodian crime spree(2011)

 Inspector Singh investigates a curious Indian cadaver (2012)

Inspector Singh investigates a calamitous Chinese killing (2013) 

Inspector Singh investigates a frightfully English execution (2016)

If I find another set of books I read in past and rereading now in this work-from-home-boring-lockdown, I will put it here ...in case you share my taste in books

What I missed during Covid lockdown:Life's weekly, simple, unguilty pleasures which kept my mood up and boredom low

 Meeting friends and family either in their or my home

Visits to Winners and Marshalls: On lunch break, it was great to browse through the items and occasionally, take home, something...a dress, a jacket, something for the kitchen...

Visit to malls...roam in malls on weekends, with husband, after lunch at home. Linger at favorite stores like Indigo and Old Navy. Check out stuff in Muji, Nordstrom, Bays, etc. End with coffee and a dessert before heading back home. I love people watching in Eaton centre and Yorkdale mall, especially the youth with their daring attires and makeup, happy and in their own world! 

Visit to USA and other places in Canada: Every year we visit our families in USA or visit a city we have never seen and spend a few days exploring the city and nearby areas. We covered almost all major cities within driving distance...Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec city, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Cleveland,  New York, Washington DC, Chicago, etc. Initially we stayed at hotels and then took the courage to stay at airbnbs. 

Visit to other countries: It has been a fond dream of mine to visit countries in the world and till my late 20s, I never believed I would ever be able to.  This is because, I lived in India, earned little and so had zero hopes. I avidly watched 'English' movies and enjoyed the vicarious thrill of those countries through the movies. Then, I moved to Canada and was so thrilled that I could actually visit the countries I only saw in movies and 'dreamt' of visiting. Pre-Covid, I was lucky to see Hawaii, London, India of course, several times, Havana in Cuba, Cancun in Mexico, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh,Paris, etc. ( I add etc after I nothing more to add, I might add!) If someone had told me that Covid, would hit the world, I would have travelled a lot more and crammed my bucket list in the last ten years. I would have seen Rome, Venice, Berlin, Prague, Athens, etc.

Visit to temples: 

Visit to museums

Visit to restaurants

Visit to farmers markets, flea markets ( I love flea markets!), 

summer street festivals in Toronto (Bloor street, St. Clair west, Junction festival, etc),

 Nathan Phillips square events and Dundas square events, 

summer fairs in small towns outside Toronto such as fall festivals, etc. 

Also special exhibitions such as the woodcrafters of Ontario exhibition, gemstone exhibition, book festival, art exhibitions in open places such as Trinity Bellwoods park, etc.

Camping in Ontario parks: This was a fairly recent hobby. I would have loved to camp but not done in 2020 due to Covid.