Well, here we are at the end of 2021 and it feels like deja vu. Covid cases are spiralling out of control and restrictions are already in place to stop Brits travelling to most of Europe. Here too restrictions are likely to come in before the year end – the only reason for the delay appears to be the backlash Boris is expecting from his own party if he cancels Xmas, especially after all the images of the Government parties and socialising over the last lockdown when us mere mortals were banned from mixing with different households. 

Last Xmas we were actually struck down with Covid – Hitesh on Xmas day itself and me a couple of days later. So it was just us 2 at home isolating, nothing festive about it. I had very mild symptoms and recovered within a day but Hitesh’s cough lingered for a good couple of months. 

January and February were tough times for the NHS. The winter season is always bad but hospitals were completely overwhelmed. Hitesh’s cough was pretty bad and Nikhil was worried about his oxygen levels but we were keen to avoid going to the hospital. The oxymeter reassured us about his oxygen levels so we persevered with home remedies and eventually he shook it off. 

But January will forever be remembered for the scenes at the White house and the storming of Capitol hill. It was just incredible to watch the footage and be astounded that was happening in a western democracy, the US no less, not some tin pot dictatorship. Forget Covid restrictions, social distancing, these people incited by Donald Trump were on a mission to overturn the US election result by any means fair or foul. It was a scary time and for a while the police had lost control. What a sad day for democracy and a sad day for the US. 

Meanwhile we were still planning for the Majorca wedding in May. We had booked our flights and were looking to finally celebrate with Noemi and her family. Unfortunately Covid intervened again and whilst Arjun had been set on the date, it was proving to be a challenge as this virus was still raging on. The vaccination programme had begun in the UK but  Britons were still banned from entering Spain so Arjun and Noemi reluctantly took the decision in early February to postpone the wedding for another year. 

The celebration were on hold yet again. 

Schools were closed, people were still working from home and it was winter. A bleak period but we stoically carried on. We were missing seeing each other face to face. Who knew that such a small virus that can’t even be seen could wreak such havoc in the world. Makes you realise how insignificant you truly are. 

I had my zoom yoga and walks to keep me active and mentally sane. Hitesh had his DIY projects at home and had also earlier been busy clearing his dad’s property which was sold in January. 

Nikhil would come and visit us every so often ( as he was in our support bubble) so that provided some much needed cheer. Alas no Arjun or Noemi. Not even for our birthdays in February. But we got our first vaccines in February so that was a relief finally. 

Arjun celebrated his 30^th birthday in March. Sadly we were not there but he got a whole load of gifts, amongst them a skate board which he was keen to learn and master. He was getting the hang of it so one day he called me whilst he was skateboarding to the shops – it was taking multitasking a step too far and he took a little tumble. Luckily he escaped with a few scratches. 

Arjun and Noemi had a trip booked to Majorca – originally to check out the wedding Finca and discuss logistics. Even though the wedding had been postponed, they still decided to go ahead and check everything out. It was heart breaking for them to see how local businesses had been so adversely impacted by the pandemic and they were even more determined to have a celebration and support these businesses. 

Arjun and I talked whilst he was in Majorca and I told him I was really missing him. Little did I know that he was planning to come straight from Majorca and surprise us all. On 31^st March, Bena had booked a trip to Kew Gardens with Aasha and Ishaan and I said I would tag along. It was a nice day and we had left late so were planning to return around 4 or 5pm. Nikhil phoned and asked what time we were planning to get home. I hadn’t realised he was coming home so was a little surprised but thought nothing of it. 

As Aasha was running late, I told her to drop me at Bena’s and I would walk back. When I came home the door was locked with the key jammed so I couldn’t open it and had to ring the bell. And then surprise surprise – Arjun opened the door. I thought I was dreaming. I almost fainted. I started crying . It had been almost 8 months since I had seen him. Since that time he had got married. 

Covid restrictions meant he had to take a PCR test before entering the UK, a PCR test on Day 2 , day 5 and day 8 and quarantine until at least day 5. It had put all travel plans on hold for us and I never even envisaged that he would go through all these hoops just to see us. I was speechless. And grateful. And nervous – in case he tested positive. It was a whole load of emotions. He had been here since 1pm . The one day that I went out for the full day! But we had a good 10 days ahead of us. He had decided to take advantage of the Easter  holidays and taken some time off. It was wonderful. I kept pinching myself. Yes he really was here. And he was hungry. I hadn’t made any food that day. So it was chai and paratha and samosas and spring rolls. He loved it . We toasted his wedding. And then he sprung a second surprise on us. Noemi was expecting! Hence the reason she hadn’t joined. He thought this was one news he had to share in person rather than on zoom! She was due her first scan at 6 weeks! It was amazing. Suddenly this little boy had grown up into an amazing responsible man. He was going to be a wonderful father.

Quarantining until his 5^th day result meant a lot of quality time was spent at home , just the 4 of us. And lots of food. We even had a magic mushroom experience which turned out to be heavily emotional , a lot of tears, crying and letting go of emotional baggage.  

We even managed to do Jiko pizza one day – the weather had been temperamental but on the day it turned out to be a beautiful day and Arjun was so grateful for this. 

The 10 days went by really quickly and all too soon it was time to leave. It was sad to see him go but of course now he had other responsibilities. 

We promised to go out to Germany as soon as we could and after our 2^nd vaccination on 24 April we booked our flights as Germany was welcoming those who had been vaccinated. 

So we booked to go out in May and they had a surprise weekend planned for us in St Peter Ording by the sea. But alas, Covid this omnipresent bug thwarted our plans once more. A new variant was discovered, one that was more transmissable and deadly. So once again we would have to quarantine for 14 days . The trip was on hold once more. 

Meanwhile Noemi had been studying for her meditation teacher training. She passed with flying colours so is now a qualified yoga as well as a meditation instructor. After her decision to quit her job at Oatsome early last year pre pandemic to focus on building her yoga, it had a been a slow progress due to the pandemic and stop and start of face to face yoga sessions. So at the beginning of January she took the decision to return to Oatsome on a part time basis and still work on building the yoga and also do the meditation course. It was a wise decision as she’s now going to be entitled to maternity leave.

Meanwhile Nikhil had been getting dissatisfied with his job at Klarna and had been looking for other roles. By May, he had an offer from Dojo. He had a 3month notice period which he normally would have got as gardening leave as he was going to a competitor, but they needed him to train others on his role. So he agreed that he would work from Portugal – which was on the UK’s green list at the time. He had a huge apartment there and asked us to go visit him but shortly after he left, Portugal was put on amber list so we would have to quarantine upon our return. We decided to let the opportunity pass. Shame as a lot of his time was spent on the golf course. But to be honest we were getting increasingly nervous about travelling and praying tests would be negative so you didn’t get stranded somewhere. Plus all these forms had to be completed online and it’s worrying in case you’ve made a mistake.

So we opted for a break closer to home in Cheshire. It was a glorious couple of days break with a visit to historic city of Chester and we also visited my niece Kavita in Manchester. Robin and jasmine warmed to us after the 1st couple of minutes and it was really nice to see them all. Hitesh also played golf at Wychwood Hall a Ryder cup venue. On our way back, we stopped off at Stratford upon Avon, a stunning place any time of the year and found a wonderful vegan bistro for lunch. 

Towards the end of June, Arjun and Noemi were going to go to Portugal for a surf and Yoga retreat – Noemi was going to be leading the yoga sessions. Nikhil was going to join the retreat too and spend some quality time with them. We had half entertained the idea of going there too but as they were going to be busy at the retreat, we decided to leave it for another time. And once more Covid intervened. Literally the night before they were flying, shortly after they had gone to bed even, they got a phone call from the retreat organisers that Portugal had now been declared a virus variant zone by Germany and so the retreat was off as it meant quarantining upon return and all that that entailed. Covid ruins another Shah holiday. I was beginning to take it personally. 

Nikhil had been intending to drive to Porto to join them but the north of Portugal was looking like it might be in lockdown any minute so he changed his plans and drove to Spain instead spending 10 days there. Noemi’s parents had a week booked at St peter Ording and had rented a decent size house, so they picked up Mogli, who had been given away the day before and drove there. 

It was such a shame as being her first retreat, Noemi had put in a lot of work to lead the yoga sessions. But they enjoyed their week there and Arjun took up the opportunity to continue with his advanced kite boarding lessons – getting his kite boarding licence so he can now rent a kite anywhere and go off on his own without an instructor!

Finally in early July Germany opened its borders to the UK so we booked to go out on the 9^th July for about 10 days. It was scary . All these forms to fill , checking and rechecking everything to make sure you have all the right documents. We half expected to be thwarted at the last minute – after all this was what had been happening to all our holidays of late. But no we were finally on a plane and were allowed in Germany. We had made it . It was so good to see them, especially Noemi who we hadn’t seen for almost a year. Now she was heavily pregnant. We celebrated their wedding. We celebrated their flat. And finally we celebrated their pregnancy. It was a very emotional reunion. 

Meanwhile the Euro 2020 football matches were taking place, some with reduced capacity attendances. England had been advancing and even beat Germany at Wembley to get to the quarter finals. Everyone was starting to believe that it was really coming home! And after beating Ukraine and Denmark , suddenly we were in the final against Italy at Wembley. It seemed it was fate and the cup was ours. We were in Germany at the time and were watching it at home . An early goal by England settled our nerves and we though that was it . but alas England sat back on their lead and tried to defend their way to the end. It was not to be as Italy levelled the score and after extra time it was penalties. And true to form England lost. But then we saw the shocking scenes of England fans prior to the game rampaging their way into the stadium , headbutting other fans and generally showing the ugly side of football. Maybe that’s why England didn’t win. The players who took penalties but didn’t score were vilified by fans and got hate mail and racial abuse. It’s only a game but once again the fans showed the ugly side of this beautiful game. 

Arjun and Noemi were working when we went to Germany but we took advantage of the beautiful weather to go on long walks in the forest with Mogli and also visit Frankfurt. At the weekend Arjun took us to a nearby wine region with spectacular views. 

We also celebrated our wedding anniversary in a nice Vietnamese vegan restaurant. 

It was lovely to spend some quality time with them and we were so glad to have finally made it this time. 

Soon it was time to come back but we were going to see Arjun again soon as he was coming back for Anjul’s stag weekend, which he and Nikhil had been organising. And then again a few weeks later for the wedding. Sadly, Noemi had decided not to come as she was still unvaccinated. Whilst the UK government had been encouraging even pregnant women to get vaccinated, in Germany, the advice was no so she had to be extra careful especially as the delta variant was still wreaking havoc. 

There was an exhibition of elephants in the London parks some 100 life sized wooden scultptures made as part of the co-existence project. We had wanted to go and see these but hadn’t had a chance to go before our trip to Germany so went after we came back – on the last day. Pretty impressive herds scattered around St James park, Hyde park and Berkely square. All of them had been sold for substantial amounts raising valuable funds for the project and the tribal communites of India that had hand crafted them. This is what I love about London. There’s always something new to do and see. 

Arjun and Noemi had planned to go to Tuscany for a week with her brother and family. Luckily that still went ahead and they had a lovely time. Lots of rest relaxation and yoga in a beautiful picturesque part of Italy. 

Meanwhile Nikhil surprised us by returning from Portugal early in case he had to quarantine before Anjul’s stag. Again we were out returning after 10 pm and he had been there since the afternoon. I’ve decided I definitely don’t like surprises!

Finally the UK was set to accept fully vaccinated travellers from the EU without a need for quarantine so Arjun could just come for a short weekend for the stag. It was short. He arrived late on Wednesday evening and they were off on Friday for the stag and he left on Sunday straight from the stag. The stag went well I guess ; the initial house they had booked was cancelled just a few weeks before by the owner so they had to scramble round to get something decent nearby but luckily it all worked out. 

Nikhil had a few weeks before he started his work at Dojo. He had now officially left Klarna so he decided to go back to Portugal and explore a bit more of the country for a few weeks before Anjul’s wedding. The Douro valley and Porto is amazing so that’s another one to add to the ever growing list of places to visit.  

We had been meaning to keep a pizza barbeque for family for some time and as the restrictions were finally lifted on numbers, we decided to host one on 16 August. Sadly both boys and Noemi could not be there but such is life. We had over 50 people and it was a lovely to be able to do these kind of events again. 

At the end of August we had Anjul and Sobana’s wedding – the mandap was outside with the backdrop of the derasar so it was a really beautiful setting and we had a beautiful traditional Sri lankan style hindu wedding. Luckily the weather held up. On the Sunday, there was a civil wedding again outdoors in a stunning setting and then we were all able to let our hair down and party the night away. The boys were both best men and did me proud with their speeches. It had been a long time since we had attended any weddings and it was great to be finally able to start getting back to normal again. 

One of our neighbours, Bharat sadly passed away in September. They were at a wedding when he had a major cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital. He survived a few weeks but had been rapidly deteriorating and alas he was taken away too young. I had seen him just a few days before his cardiac arrest and he seemed fine. Another reminder of the fragility of life.

Hitesh’s brother Harshad had been planning to come over for Anjul and Sobana’s wedding but whilst they were hiking in Utah he became severely dehydrated and subsequently had difficulty in walking or moving his muscles so was advised not to travel. Luckily he’s now fighting fit again. Another reminder to stop procrastinating as you never know what’s around the corner. 

A few friends had been talking of going away together and in September we all went to Norfolk for a few days at the UK’s first all inclusive resort called Potters resort. There were so many activities ranging from very active such as badminton and tennis to quizzes and arts and crafts. It was a lovely break with never a dull moment, we tried virtually everything from rally cart driving, giant swing, curling, badminton, tennis table tennis, Segway, archery and much more. The food was great too and the entertainment was amazing – it was like going to a west end theatre. It was a wonderful break and then after we checked out, we hired a self drive boat for half day and explored the Norfolk Broads. Hitesh was ‘captain’ and guided us all in steering the boat. It was a great experience – we decided to moor and explore a village nearby and who should we meet but long time friends Mila and Jayu who along with friends were walking along the Norfolk coast. It’s so amazing you live so nearby and you never bump into them and then you go all the way there and that exact time, they’re there! 

We were getting the thirst for travel again and with some countries opening up again, Hitesh and I decided to book a trip to Athens, Santorini and Corfu. We just booked the flights and the accommodation separately. It was great. Athens is incredible – so much history there to explore. It is incredibly hilly but we walked everywhere and went to the Acropolis and other archaeological sites. Weather was sunny and pleasant, not too hot. Food was incredible as there were so many vegan restaurants. We managed to try around 4 of them ; the best was one 2 mins from our hotel. After 4 nights there, we flew to Santorini. Here we had hired a car as it’s easier to get around the island. Santorini really is as beautiful as the postcards. Whitewashed houses and churches with blue rooftops, the sunsets and sunrises are amazing. We explored the whole island as we had a car and also did a 10km hike from Fira to Oia which is supposedly the best walk in Santorini. It was stunning, as we had beautiful views of the Caldera pretty much all the way. Santorini is much more expensive than the rest of Greece but it really is stunning and worth visiting. Vegan options here were fewer but we found a lovely vegetarian restaurant in Fira and near our hotel there was a very colourful restaurant with a hippy vibe that made a lot of vegan dishes. The weather in Santorini was beautiful and sunny.

After this it was Corfu and we had 2 days of good weather. We managed to explore Corfu town including the old and new fortress and the new town. It then rained incessantly. Luckily we had booked an all inclusive place so didn’t need to venture out. We played board games and joined in the pilates and yoga classes. It had been a wonderful break.

Before we left, the UK was experiencing a petrol shortage and as we were due to drive to Stansted , we had to be very careful about our usage. Made us walk and use the trains and buses more! At one point I found a petrol station that had petrol but the queues were so so long. They did however have a separate queue for jerry cans, so Hitesh and I went by train with a couple of jerry cans – shopping for petrol! You couldn’t make it up! 

Luckily by the time we returned back to the UK, the shortage was over, but prices are at an all time high. 

For Nikhil’s birthday, we went to have lunch with him in town at a lovely pub that did vegan pizzas. In the evening he was meeting up with all the cousins and then a couple of days later was due to go out to Germany to visit Arjun and Noemi. He had been present at the wedding but hadn’t seen Noemi since and also hadn’t been to their new flat. 

Aasha had been expecting their 2^nd baby on 5^th November, New year’s day  but Anya decided to come a few days early on 31^st October. Ishaan welcomed her home by giving her one of his favourite aeroplanes. 

We had a Diwali celebration at Bena’s on the Sunday and Anya was really good. Slept most of the time. For Diwali we went to lunch in town with Nikhil. He hadn’t realised before but his work also had a Diwali celebration going on with Bollywood songs and Indian food. In the evening we went to the theatre to see ‘Only fools and horses’ It was wonderful to go back to the theatre after ages. We loved the show as we had grown up watching the episodes and  were pleasantly surprised Nikhil loved it as well.

Eliyas Nikolai Shah was born on 14 November 2021. He shares his birthday with Kavita my niece and her daughter Jasmine. Arjun hadn’t even told us they had gone to the hospital the night before. In the morning, he video called us and slowly turned the camera to Noemi and Eliyas. It was a proud and emotional moment for us.

10 days later, we went to visit them. Oh my god! He’s so cute and adorable. They’re doing really well and even Mogli has taken to protecting the baby, lying by him when he cries!

So many additions to our ever growing Dodhia clan! 

Nikhil had arranged to go to Vancouver and Whistler for skiing with Anjul and a few friends. He had a wonderful time although the skiing wasn’t all that great – too early in the season. Also being out of practice, he couldn’t land his flips. The videos of him falling flat on his face were a little scary to watch!

He came back and then a few days later went to Germany to visit Eliyas. He doesn’t want to be called Nikhil kaka as kaka means poo in German. So they agreed on Mjomba, Swahili for uncle! Eliyas was very comfortable sleeping on Nikhil Mjomba!

He had then booked again to see them next week but that’s off now as Germany has closed its borders to the UK once again. We were also due to go again in early January and that is off the table for now. Let’s see what happens. But at least we managed to get out there once. 

They are planning to come here in February and also we have a skiing holiday planned with them in March . In April we have a trip to Turkey with friends. Let’s hope those plans are not scuppered. 

Just last week, we had some more good news. Bhavini got engaged to Brett, so we have another wedding to look forward to next year, in addition to Arjun and Noemi’s delayed wedding celebrations in Majorca. Bhavini and Brett are also joining us for the skiing holiday in March as well as Meena Niru’s daughter. She has been working in London over the last couple of years. Raju, Niru’s son was also here in November for about 10 days. Niru is planning to move with them soon. We’ve had Ujval , Hitesh’s cousin’s son staying with us. He’s studying at Loughborough but is on his placement year and working at EY at Canary Wharf. Well for the moment he’s working from home. 

So apart from the yoga and walking, I’ve been doing interviews for the Jain migration Histroy project and have had chats with 2 incredible ladies recently, Hansaben Shah from Wellingborough and Kanchanben Shah from Surrey. I also recently completed a Bookmark volunteer reading course so I can help primary school children with their reading. 

Hitesh started his business and badminton coaching again after the first few months of the year, so he’s busy again with all that. Nikhil continues playing squash and football. Recently he played in the Harrow squash tournament and lost in the final. His reign is coming to an end. Arjun has also started playing squash and golf although it remains to be seen how he will be able to fit all this in with the baby and dog.  

Here’s hoping that you all have a very merry Xmas and peaceful new year and that all your plans and dreams come to fruition in 2022 

Stay safe