We were in lockdown since mid-March 2020. In the beginning, I did my usual exercise in my apartment because I had bought necessary equipment to do my gym work from home.
Two weeks before, I went to get my mat, roller and extra block. Before I used to only have my own yoga mat, a block and my weights. So now, I felt adequately prepared for the pandemic as they literally shit our gym 19 days later! And we were not allowed to go out as the cuty surged in cases of Coronavirus. Little did I know (besides my friend in the exercise class who notified us that school will be closed soon and that everything will be dome online, I depended on watching NHK-TV news for latest in the pandemic and of course very neutral informative news)
I had my mask ready since January 24 ahead of the normal New Yorkers, and have ordered and started to buy necessities.
Most of America has ignored the pandemic but because I tune in to NHK TV, I became more cautious thinking it may come to us too. Like a Scout, my motto is always “Be prepared”.
By mid-March we got locked down to prevent the spread. As much as I love to cook, after a while it seemed the only main job I did during lockdown, after a few weeks I started getting rundown doing the same thing everyday. Between cleaning after cooking and preparing the next meal and doing the chores in the apartment I felt like a mouse in a cage just going round and round. After a few weeks, I enrolled to a few delivery platforms and became a member for a year of many. I joined the ones that carried items I like and necessities. But that also took time to set up what to order. Most of the time they need you to order a minimum amount so they won’t charge extra for delivery even though I have already joined membership. I now suddenly have a new schedule. My late hours of searching the Internet for purveyors and who uses delivery services began to be my new job.
What I have learned is to stock up my necessities so I have ample supplies at all times. So whenever possible I would buy 4-6 of the same item just in case. I even stocked up with my vitamins planning through January in case it is too dangerous to go out on the next wave. They said this virus thrives in dry cold air. I also found out it can live in the freezer!
So now, my time is consumed taking precautions when I buy food from outside or even deliveries. I try not to pick up a delivered good from the handle but from awkward sides and then wash my hands. I transfer the fresh produce carefully into my own plastic bags before I store them in my fridge. This way the plastic bag in the grocery store which laid on the counter which someone may possibly put their hand on, coughed on to cover their mouth when they coughed or sneezed will not be on my plastic bag.
I probably sound like a nut to you but my mother was a Parasitologist and I learned a lot about tracing where bacteria comes from.
Jump forward - our city is now in Phase 4 and the restaurants have begun to open. Dining is outside at the moment. It’s pretty outside. I have watched the restaurants take up car lanes on streets that the city has allowed them to use for dining out
My one wish: Keep up distancing within 6 feet or more; and wear your mask unless you are alone in open air or at home. Exercise, eat well and sleep well. Soon we will look at this in the past. There will always be a pandemic. It has been happening from time in memorial. I just hope we do not harm ourselves beyond what it is currently doing.
#perseverance #faith #pandemic #reataurants #Phase4 #outdoordining
