How strange this period is. How strange is this virus that’s been attacking our old Western world and its ways of life… Tonight, on a short walk within the mile limit, we came across an old Moroccan man picking the mint he had planted in a flower bed in his building. The mint exhaled a wonderful perfume in a small part of the street, something unusual enough in the small streets of Paris to catch our attention. The old man, as soon as he saw that we were captivated by the smell, offered us a large bouquet of freshly picked mint and was very happy to have been able to make contact with someone.

On my way home, while enjoying a cup of mint tea, I think back to the whatsapp calls and messages I have received from India or Morocco in the last few days. These messages that challenge us and make us aware that this strange virus may be slowly putting an end to our arrogance towards countries that, for some reason, we had described as underdeveloped.

Jean-Yves and I had already asked this question many times during our stays in India, Morocco, Cairo and Palestine. We were, during these trips, often fascinated by the works, amazed by the beauty and finesse of the works of art. In India, we had fallen under the spell of the forts of Rajasthan, often built at a time when here in Europe, we still only knew how to build fortified towers to protect ourselves.

We had also been seized by the refinement of the dances, music and arts of Kerala: Kathakali, Kalariyapatt?

We were finally captivated by the flavours, the colours, the thousand and one recipes… tea, spices, thali, dalh… so many dishes cleverly balanced according to the principles of Ayurveda.

Let us now return to this pandemic that is wreaking havoc in our so-called civilized or western countries. How surprising it is for us to receive your messages and calls and to discover all the concern you feel for us and for the situation in our country.

How strange to hear you Arjun, telling us that in Kerala, there have been only two Covid deaths so far for a population of 34 million people.

How strange, to read the messages of Amine who takes news from us and who explains to us that the containment was quickly put in place in Morocco, that masks were distributed to the population and that in some places decontamination airlocks were put in place.

How amazing it is to read Akhilesh explain the system of care provided free of charge for all. And how good it is to read Johnson’s jokes, to receive Sheeba’s flower pictures, to catch a glimpse of Arjun’s mother’s cuckoo clocks trying to appear during our Whatsapp calls.

So to you, our friends from here and elsewhere, to you who read this blog and who encourage me, a big thank you for your messages, your attentions. Thank you also and above all for what you allow us to imagine so that tomorrow will be a world a little more human!

Par Nathalie

Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)