Yesterday millions of Balinese Hindu is celebrating Nyepi, the sacred and peaceful day of silence, fasting and meditation that is also celebrated as the Saka New Year in the Balinese calendar. It is the day of self-reflection and restricting oneself from four main things: the lighting of fire, light, or electricity; working; traveling, and indulging in leisurely activities or entertainment.
More than ever before, it is a day whose meaning is resonating beyond Bali soil and across all religions and cultures of the world as we continue our battle against the global pandemic of COVID-19. Save for the electricity and light, billions of people across the world have been urged by their governments to do at least two things similar to the Nyepi abstinence: traveling and working (at the office).
In Indonesia and especially in Jakarta, we've seen a considerable decrease in traffic activities in many public places in the last week following President Joko Widodo called to urge companies to allow their employees to work remotely. Many liken the road conditions to an 'Idul Fitri Day' sparse traffic, especially in major roads and central business districts. Plaza Indonesia and Summarecon Kelapa Gading has announced their temporary closing until at least another week, while others, including Senayan City, and Central Park Mall, announced the temporary closing of some of their tenants. Leaving their grocery stores, supermarkets and pharmacy stay open to support people daily needs.
This is one of the most trying times that none of us could possibly predict, but always remember that we are all in this together. There's always something that we can do to help each other; from participating in the many fundraising to help procure protective gears for the health workers battling the virus, to small but meaningful things such as distributing basic needs to informal workers who are struggling more than most in this crisis.
Of course, the least we can do to flatten the curve is to #stayathome, conduct social distancing measures, and please stay healthy. We can do that, for example, by downloading these free health apps that, some, are giving temporary access to their premium contents to support your home workout routines during the outbreak. We have also compiled some Instagram accounts that will help you get moving without having to get out of the house.
Also, if you start to run out of ideas of what to cook: order takeouts and take advantage of these special deals to keep you safe at home. Many restaurants are struggling to keep their businesses running and ordering from them will help keep their employees, and help fill your tummy with good food :) However, don't forget to practice utmost care in cleaning the food packaging, containers, and keep your distance while accepting your delivery.
Once again, we wish our Hindu friends Rahajeng Rahina Nyepi and a happy Saka New Year 1942. We hope given this year's extraordinary times, this year's Nyepi will give us all more strength, resilience, and health for our planet and humanity to recover. 🌏
Until next time, please stay healthy, and #stayathome.
Cheers,
Jessica Januarty
Chief Operating Officers
www.WhatsNewIndonesia.com
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"suka tanpawali duka"
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