Is COVID-19 blocking access to your neighbour’s kitchen?

Is COVID-19 blocking access to your neighbour’s kitchen?

When Indian expat Husna Siddiqua got married in 2018 and settled down in Dubai with her husband, she didn't know anyone in the city. The homemaker said: "The first step for me was to make friends. I thought, in order to do that, I'd have to visit them. So, I decided to go to all the houses in the neighbourhood one by one.“ Every alternate day, she would prepare a sweet treat and knock on a neighbour's door. "When we visit somebody for the first time in India, we take sweets for them,“ she explained. Her arsenal of recipes included gajar ka halwa (carrot-based pudding) and gond ke laddu (sweet made with dried fruits and nuts). The neighbours welcomed the introduction, chatted with Siddiqua and exchanged contact numbers. Soon, they began to reciprocate with dishes of their own. Sending and receiving sweet and savoury treats became a regular occurrence. Siddiqua said the exchanges created a sense of community among residents. "In today's era, when everyone is so busy in their lives, these small things help us to stay connected and create a bond.“ She even made panjiri - a nutritional snack made with whole-wheat flour, dried fruits, flax seeds, and