Reclaiming Tradition After the New Normal

 

By Min Zan

THE term “New Normal” refers to the changes in lifestyle and society caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes affected daily routines, work habits, and social interactions in ways that no one had expected. Many had to adapt quickly to this new way of life, but not all changes were easily accepted. While the New Normal has had a significant impact, some factors are now working to reverse or lessen its influence.

During that period, Ko Kyaw Kha never thought he would have to call a barber and get a haircut at home. Now that his hair is growing, he has to call the barber. He sat on a chair in the front yard and fenced off the hairdresser’s drape he had brought with him. There are no mirrors on the sidewalk. The barber did his job professionally. His friend, Hla Khin Maung, was left with only a lock of hair because of the housewife’s incompetence. Some housewives were unaware that they had become hair stylists. Many of his friends had their haircuts on the black market. Black-market haircuts meant that the front door of the barbershop was closed, and they had to have their hair cut in the closet with a lot of sweat entering from the side door.

Ma Hsu Lin Htet is the assistant manager of an office. There was a computer, a calculator, files, and documents on her office table. However, during the COVID-19 period, she was surrounded by scattered dolls, baby clothes, and toys. Office closures have made it possible for her to shop online. During this time, Ma Hsu’s friends also became kitchen experts. On social networking sites, they could exchange recipes in cooking groups. They went through the COVID period by doing their own cooking and frying.

Sociologists have identified during COVID and post-COVID periods as the “New Normal”. It means living a new lifestyle, not just a normal one. The Thingyan festival did not throw water, and the pagoda festivals with lights were turned off at night. Some children have come before the screens without having to sit on a stump in the classroom. Some people no longer had the chance to have a long chat in the cafes. Some well-established businesses collapsed. People who have never dreamed of becoming a shopkeeper are also selling online.

During the New Normal, online culture became more and more influential upon us. From one wanting to eat a bowl of noodles to making conferences and performing educational activities, they are finally being used online. In the past, if you had a meeting, you had to find a place. We had to go where there was a meeting room. We had to make an appointment in advance. Meetings are now available online. There is so much to learn online. It’s a time of not only intermediaries but also online teachers. If you want to learn how to knit wool online, you can. If you want to learn how to build seagoing ships, you can also go online. If you want to make a fortune-telling plan, you can. It is emerging as an online marketplace vividly.

It is not important whether one wants to accept changes in the New Normal or not. There have been changes, whether one likes it or not. If one does not follow along with such changes, one will surely be left behind. Even if one goes shopping for food, he or she can only leave with a permit issued by the ward office. It hurt restaurants that had hoped to reopen at some point without a parcel system. Shops that were selling with parcels were connected to modern couriers.

The catastrophe brought about many social changes. Weddings and donations are no longer allowed. Weddings had to be arranged in summarization. If one wants to donate, he or she has to do it with a parcel system. One of my relatives was swept away by the second wave of COVID. He was a very friendly person in the ward. However, he died of an infectious disease, and his family was forced to leave and go to quarantine centres immediately, and no one was allowed to accompany him to his funeral. At least even for his life-lost alms-food and 7th-day alms-food, they had to go to the monastery to them.

During this time, some celebrities became big sellers. One of the movie stars became a successful role model. Diamond and gold jewellery were sold like onions. Some buyers are just like buying vegetables. She sold jewellery live online, selling from 4 or 5 lakhs to 400 or 500 lakhs. Apart from jewellery, apartments, and houses, she even sold cars. Later, some movie stars started selling live online. This is also a new lifestyle being seen in the New Normal.

New Norman has had an impact on our social life. In this change, some people have completely changed their lives, like their palms are upside down. There have been changes in some societies, but the changes are not noticeable. In this change, there are those who are unknowingly enslaved. But New Norma will definitely make the changes. Whether you want to change or not, everything will be dragged into the current of changing styles in the New Normal.

During the pandemic, people had to make adjustments, like getting haircuts at home or in secret. As mentioned above, Ko Kyaw Kha, for example, never thought he would have to call a barber to his house. Haircuts, once a simple task done in a barbershop, became an underground activity due to restrictions. Many people get their hair cut in private, away from public view, and barbers operate behind closed doors. For some, like his friend Hla Khin Maung, this led to unfortunate results. However, as restrictions lifted, barbershops reopened, and this aspect of the New Normal began to fade.

In offices, the shift to remote work was one of the biggest changes. Ma Hsu Lin Htet, who once worked in a professional office environment, now found herself surrounded by children’s toys and clothes. With offices closed, online shopping and cooking became popular ways to pass the time. Her friends, who had never been interested in cooking, suddenly became kitchen experts, sharing recipes online. This new lifestyle might have lasted longer, but as businesses reopened, many returned to their normal routines.

The shift to online education and meetings was another major part of the New Normal. Students, instead of attending classes in person, were learning from home through screens. Conferences and meetings that once required travel and scheduling were now held online. While some found this convenient, many missed face-to-face interactions. Now, with the gradual reopening of schools and businesses, there is a return to traditional forms of education and meetings.

Despite these changes, many are finding ways to nullify the effects of the New Normal. People are eager to return to their old ways of life. Cafes are open again, and friends can meet for long conversations without restrictions. Businesses that survived the pandemic are reopening, and those that had to close are trying to rebuild. While some online practices may remain, such as shopping and learning, many prefer the in-person experiences they had before the pandemic.

The pandemic brought significant changes to social traditions. Weddings, once large and joyful events, were reduced to small, private gatherings. Donating and giving alms were done through parcel systems instead of community events. Funerals, too, were affected. Families had to mourn from a distance, and many were not allowed to attend the burial of their loved ones. Now, with restrictions easing, these traditions are starting to return to normal.

One of the lasting impacts of the New Normal has been the rise of online businesses. Many celebrities, for example, turned to online selling. Jewellery, houses, and cars were sold through livestreams, and some became successful entrepreneurs. However, with the reopening of stores and markets, the excitement of online shopping may begin to fade, and traditional shopping experiences may regain popularity.

After the New Normal period, many people found themselves reflecting on the value of traditional lifestyles that were temporarily put on hold. The sudden changes from working remotely to avoiding social gatherings brought convenience for some but left many yearning for the comfort of familiar routines. The desire to return to in-person interactions, whether in cafes, offices, or schools, has become a strong emotional pull for people who miss the sense of community that face-to-face connections provide. Though online platforms and virtual spaces helped bridge the gap during the pandemic, they cannot fully replace the warmth of real-world experiences. As restrictions fade, there is a growing movement towards reclaiming these traditional practices, with many viewing them as vital for mental well-being and social harmony.

However, the shift back to traditional lifestyles also raises questions about what should remain from the New Normal. For some, the flexibility of working from home and the efficiency of online learning have proven beneficial. There is now a balance to be struck between embracing old habits and keeping the valuable innovations from this challenging period. As society transitions back, people are reflecting on how much of the traditional lifestyle they genuinely want to return to and whether a hybrid model, combining the best of both worlds, might serve them better in the long run. The New Normal has redefined what is possible, and as people move forward, they are increasingly thoughtful about which aspects of their pre-pandemic lives they wish to restore.

All in all, while the New Normal brought about many changes, not all of them were permanent. As society adapts and restrictions lift, many aspects of life are returning to how they were before. The desire for normalcy is strong, and many are working to nullify the changes brought by the pandemic. Whether through returning to barbershops, reopening businesses, or resuming social traditions, people are eager to move beyond the New Normal and embrace their former way of life.