15 Things To Look Forward To In This New World

In an Age of Disruption, the novel coronavirus has proved itself to be the mother of them all. Most of the globe has been in some version of a lockdown for over three months now. During this time, a few changes have been accelerated – our dependence on tech in all aspects of our lives (hi Zoom, IG Live) – whereas others are new, such as the idea of physical and social distancing. But people and businesses alike are also adapting, resetting and rebooting, and harnessing new opportunities to imagine what the world could look like. GQ’s editors cast their eye over this vastly altered landscape – and tell you where we’re headed.

- Shikha Sethi

01 NATURE IS HEALING (no joke)

You couldn’t have missed it: An endangered civet otherwise endemic to the Western Ghats, walking across a street in Kozhikode. A sambar deer doing a Beatles stroll across a zebra crossing in Chandigarh. Peacocks, flamingos and dolphins in Mumbai. The Dhauladhar mountain range visible from Jalandhar after 30 years. Life in lockdown has been good for wildlife and bettered air quality. It’s also made people focus on gardening and growing organic produce at home, when stock wasn’t readily available. Composting has received a fillip, too, with folks becoming more conscious of the waste they generate, and experimenting with making DIY face scrubs with used coffee grounds and coconut oil, thanks to a steady stream of how-to videos by Sahar Mansoor at Bare Necessities. What may’ve begun as distractions to kill time quickly turned into hobbies. And are unlikely to stop post quarantine either. To start composting stat, check out Bengaluru-based Waste Warriors and its nifty Smart Bin Air, designed for smaller city apartments, as well as the Daily Dump, which can help with more elaborate set-ups for your standalone home or apartment complex. Consciously opt for recyclable packaging. Seek out zero-waste stores like Adrish in Pune and Mumbai. Look out for sustainable clothing. The rewards for you or anyone sitting in Punjab or Kerala are much sweeter. —SHIVANGI LOLAYEKAR

02 KITCHEN GARDENS #FTW