The emergency was lifted on May 25, 2020. But caution prevented me for heading out into the city without a valid reason. A meeting at the office is an excuse to get on the subway and head out into the city. The desire to keep an exposure to crowds to a minimum leads me to walk to the station instead of taking a bus.
It has been almost 80 days since I have ridden the subway, the menus at the ticket machine seems to have changed, with additional options making me take more time than usual to buy a ticket.
The subway is less crowded than usual, a vacant season, all so rare earlier presents itself. The seat next to me is also vacant, so social distancing with its limitations is still possible.
There is a woman sitting opposite me, without a mask. She has wireless earphones on and seems to be having a conversation. If the lack of masks didn’t give her enough stares, the phone conversation in the train does. Phone conversations on the train are a taboo and the occasional act of truancy gets reprimanded or the errant party driven to stand near the doors.
It has also been 80 days since I have eaten out at a restaurant. There were restaurants which closed doors and then there were the ones which switched to takeouts. I chose to visit the one owned by my friends of over 14 years, Ganesha Dining[http://www.ganeshadining.com]. The restaurant survived on takeouts to the loyal clientele, generally staying in walking distance. I was at the inauguration party of Ganesha Dining in 2012, located close to the Akabanebashi station on the Oedo line, and have continued coming here over the years. Arriving just before 12, when the lunch crowds start coming in, greeted by the owner, staff I settle in for a Chilly Chicken lunch set with a complimentary Spicy Indian curry thrown in.
The crowds are sparse but start building up after 12 and then there are a few customers for takeouts. Considering that the restaurant opened up for Dine-in today, the customer numbers look encouraging .
A gloomy rainy day looks like a bad Omen for reopening the city but that does not deter people from heading out and enjoying the outside.
Masks , ever so prevalent even before the virus outbreak , are everywhere. It is rare to find someone without a mask and the occasional foolhardy soul gets enough stares to understand the strangeness of their actions.
Heading out to the office, finishing the meetings and then leaving back for home, the trains are more crowded. There is an effort at social distancing but the limitations of a crowded carriage make that almost impossible.
