They call it movement control order in Malaysia: lockdown. Francien, Marcella and I are not allowed to leave the house except to go to the local supermarket and in case of emergencies. We are looking at the weeks ahead and how we will keep ourselves busy without going crazy. We try to find a new rhythm, being confined to our 150 square meter apartment on the 24th floor of a condominium complex in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Applauding people who keep this country running
Sitting on our balcony overlooking a main traffic artery, I miss all those food-trucks and food stalls which normally line the streets. I note that the sound of the few cars is dampened by the hum of the many air-conditioning units mounted on the high-rises. I hear the muezzin calling for prayers at the local mosque, but see nobody walking in that direction. I watch soldiers, manning the road checkpoint in front of our condominium, stopping the few people still driving in cars or on motorbikes. Life has not grounded to a complete halt. Some people are still going to work, public transport is still functional although less frequent, and our local supermarket is kept open and well stocked. Last evening we joined other people standing on their balconies applauding those men and women working in all essential services, keeping this country going. At night the city is eerily quiet, I even can hear the crickets: it all is surreal, yes a bit spooky.
Francien and Marcella doing virtual yoga classes
Walking stairs 36 floors up and down to keep fit
This first week I have adopted the routine of getting up in the morning and have a cup of coffee on the balcony. Then I walk up and down 36 floors on our stuffy concrete fire escape stairs to keep fit. Marcella and Francien do early morning virtual yoga classes in our living room, following instructions from a teacher somewhere far away. Reading books, writing this blog and in the evening watching a movie (or two). Too much of our time is absorbed by the news. We use WhatsApp much more than usual to talk to family and friends across the globe. One evening the three of us enjoyed having a virtual dinner together with our daughter in Munich, Germany. What would we do without the internet!
On a positive note, we learn new things like the concept of social distancing, pandemic curves and how viruses spread between human beings. More good news is that the air quality index in the city is as good as it can get!
But then there is always that big question: 2 weeks or 3 or 4 or even more?
Nobody knows.
You will agree, these are unusual times. Our bucket list is full of new experiences we still want to have, but this one was certainly not on our list!
We believe this self-isolation is the right thing to do to fight the pandemic, so we accept our situation and make the best out of it. We also assume this situation will last for many weeks to come and need to prepare for the long-haul: do you have any creative ideas how to make this self-isolation somewhat meaningful? Looking forward to your suggestions!
Stay healthy, stay at home and stay tuned.