Teaching Amma to Zoom during COVID19 times

It was decided that the next TSR family call would be this Sunday. Amma called me at around 5 30 PM, when I was busy contemplating whether I should make Lauki Kofta with the Mooli Paratha or just simple Lauki with dal for dinner. “Megu, You haven’t yet taught me how to use the laptop to Zoom”

“Ok Ma, just power up the laptop and I will come online….soon”
“I have forgotten where the switch is! How to turn it on…
“Ok cut this call…let me do a video call on Whatsapp”

After grating the radish and washing my hands yet again, well, this must be the 108th time for the day, I opened my laptop to initiate a meeting on zoom and sent her the invite on WA. I called her and asked her to check the invite on WA not realizing that I have not yet taught her to use WA on her laptop yet.
“Wait ma, let me send this invite to your email ID. You can just open the link and click on it”
“How to turn on the laptop…I have forgotten”
“Show me the laptop through your phone….There…press the silver button on the extreme right.”
Thankfully I could see the laptop booting through the phone. “Now go to your email”
“How to do that…I have forgotten everything. It’s been a long time since I used a laptop”
“No issues. Go to Chrome. Its there on your desktop. Click on it”
“Ok, Done. I can see Google.”
“Good. Type Gmail.com”
“Done. Typed it”
“Do you see your email inbox?”
“No I see Gmail on the right side box. Should I click that?”
“No ma..you are still on the Google page. Go to the browser and type gmail.com”
“What’s browser?”
“That bar right on top of the page”
“Ahhh…Now I remember…I do a backspace and take away this and type, right?”
“Very Good Ma…Great. That’s how you do it”
“Ok Now I have typed. Where is email”
“Hit Enter”
“Where is Enter…ok ok Got it”
Thankfully I see the screen where Gmail is open, but unfortunately its not her email, but mine…I must have used it when I was there and forgot to log out!
“Now I see lots of emails. Venkat, Veera…LBN..etc..Looks like its yours. Tell me how to go to mine”
“Will do that for another day ma. I have just resent the invite to zoom to my email. Just click on that link.”
“Ok…Now which is link?”
“That long one you see”
“Ok Done…its opening to some page…wait”
I really hope I had downloaded Zoom earlier in that laptop…I must have. Yes…I have. Looks like no need to download again. Phew.
“Ok…Can you see me ma”
“Yes. But I can’t see myself.”
“Turn on Video. And Audio”
“How to do that?”
“Just place the mouse on the big box in the centre, and the icons appear. See extreme left…last two icons.”
“Yes..Done. Great. I can see and hear you now. Now teach me how to see all people at same time”
“Just go to Gallery View. Top extreme right”
“Yes. Now I can see both of us together”
“That’s it ma. Now you are all set for Sunday’s Family meeting”
“Let’s come online and practice before others come in…10 minutes earlier”
“Ok ma! Its easy. You will be fine. Now Back to Cooking. Talk to you Later”
“Bye”

Ma will be fine. She is quite tech savvy for a 76 year old! I have already taught her Voice to Tamil Typing…and she is quite a pro at that. She has just lost touch with her laptop for a while.

..Now no time for kofta. It’s just Lauki Dal with Mooli Parathas for dinner!

And another day goes by!

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