Time aplenty

PR professional and serial entrepreneur Sean Faia is embracing the slow-paced life while unlearning and learning with his three-year-old tot

DANUSKA DA GAMA | NT BUZZ

Life before lockdown was always busy for Sean Faia, who spent weekends relaxing, reading, visiting family, watching movies, or having dinner with friends. And while work hasn’t come to a halt for the PR professional and serial entrepreneur from Old Goa, things have slowed down.

“My days are busy but not the hectic kind of busy,” he tells NT BUZZ, as he emphasises that the lockdown, like it has for many, has brought a new perspective to life.

Life isn’t hurried anymore and everything is done in its own time. “There is no rushing from meeting to meeting, no morning rush to get to the office on time, lunch is extended beyond an hour,” he tells us, while adding that he now gets to spend more time with his son Zarick, playing innovative games, watching TV shows and learning from Peppa Pig.

The new normal routine through the lockdown also included focusing on home workouts. “A little over a month before the lockdown, I had started doing yoga in the morning along with my mother and sister with instructions from my mom,” says Faia.

Since the whole family was at home, Faia says that they also started a new daily ritual. “We enjoy evening chai at 5 p.m. while the birds head home and the sun sets on another day,” he says, adding that seeing some beautiful sunsets from his balcony is something he is getting used to now.

Also, family meals have a completely new meaning since the lockdown began in March. “We always sat around a table and dined as a family, but now every meal is special. Once the table is laid out, everyone has a glass of refreshing drink to beat the summer heat. After the grace has been said, the meal is enjoyed without having to rush anywhere,” explains Faia, adding that the entire family is also involved in trying out new recipes.

“My wife, Diana and I made baos with sesame chicken and also tried making Vietnamese rolls with a lovely mango salsa. We have realised that all of the things we would usually step out for, are just as easy to make at home,” he says.

Making use of their creative minds, his sister Skitter and he have also worked on a podcast called ‘Voices Over Virus: The Lockdown Log’ that’s finally out and available on all the podcast platforms.

“Being in a lockdown allowed us to enjoy the small corners and often overlooked things in the house,” says Faia. And while he can continue to manage life like this for a couple of more months, eventually, he says, one needs the human connect. “We all do. I believe life will be normal again once we find the vaccine but until then we need to be alert and
cautious,” he says.