Being cooped up at home is beginning to test our patience. Five weeks, with no end in sight, feels like an eternity. Fortunately, the three of us help each other to propel us through our daily motions. Marcella is still working from home. Besides our morning exercise routines, we keep finding new ways to stay busy, but it is becoming more difficult. Don’t fret, there are always new things you can do. Marcella started baking bread. I am doing dreaded chores like filling out tax forms and updating my administration. Our daughter Winnie convinced me to do a one-day fasting: 24 hours without eating was quiet a challenge, but I did it. Chores like doing the laundry, dishes, cleaning the house, preparing for the next visit to the supermarket become ever more important topics to talk about.
Calling people to stay in touch with, I find is also starting to get a bit more difficult, because there seems to be little to talk about other than the virus. I run out of things to chat about and at times I am tired hearing about the same numbers, curves, restrictions and closures. But keeping in touch with others still gives all three of us motivation, focus and most of all social connection.
Day 30: Oops, it is my birthday! I got one hand-made birthday card, Francien made a delicious cake and I received many virtual well wishes from friends and family. You can call this a minimalistic celebration, but in these times of isolation we are all forced to focus on those things which really matter. Indeed, I really enjoyed this special day. Needless to say: a birthday to remember.
My special birthday card….
For all of us the internet is a huge help to get us through this time of isolation. But I never have used my smartphone as much. Alas, I measured my usage and was shocked: I stare at this incredible device 3.5 hours every day. This doesn’t even include the time staring at my laptop screen. I did already reduce the time catching up on the news considerably, because it has become repetitive. But still, my internet use is way too high. If nothing else, I will make an extra effort to reduce this after we return to some sort of normality, because I do not want to become an internet addict.
So tell me, how will you remember this strange time? I agree, still too early to tell, but there will be many inspiring stories that have yet to be told by people. One still unfolding story is from our friends Pamela and Berry here in Kuala Lumpur, or should I say Australia?
March 7th Berry and I boarded the plane from Kuala Lumpur to Adelaide still in our ‘happy-to-go-travel’ bubble. Little did we know that our two week exploration of South Australia would result into an involuntary extended stay.
Our first few days in Adelaide were fun filled, the city buzzing with activity thanks to the Fringe festival, the ‘old normal’. Pubs and wine bars were packed, everybody happy! Nobody worried about the corona virus on the big island. Not until March 17th. Berry and I were camping in Deep Creek, a remote and internet free conservation park where kangaroos curiously observed us from behind the gum trees. We had to drive to the nearest junction to get an internet signal as Frank tried to contact us. He told us Malaysia would be closing its borders within 36 hours. No foreigners were allowed into the country anymore apart from those with Permanent Residency permits. We do not have such a permit and unfortunately were too far away from the airport to catch the last Malaysian Airlines flight back to Kuala Lumpur: we were stuck and did not know for how long!
Anyway, we did not panic and decided to continue our planned itinerary. Only during our last stop in Barossa Valley, we were confronted with COVID-19 for the first time: wine tastings started with hand sanitizing. We decided to rent a small Airbnb apartment in Adelaide on Saturday March 21st to sit this out. Everything was still open but that was short lived as the next day the PM announced that by noon next Monday all restaurants, bars, theaters, museums needed to close. Wow, this was our first confrontation with what the rest of the world was already experiencing.
In the past weeks Berry and I have been in touch with people in Kuala Lumpur who have liaisons with the government and contacted our embassy in Kuala Lumpur only to find out they have little influence on lifting the travel ban. We also registered at the Malaysian High Commission office in Canberra. For now we have no other choice than staying in Adelaide, there is little more to do than wait for the next announcement. In any case, those who manage to return to Malaysia are submitted to a 14-day hotel quarantine. Not sure if we want to do that either.
Blame it on the Stockholm syndrome but until today we quite enjoy spending our forced exile in Adelaide as there are certainly worst (also cheaper…) places to be stuck at. We can still go out for long walks. The famous Central Market is open with a colorful range of fresh produce, cheese, nuts, fish and a friendly Malaysian lady who cooks up a storm so we can get our regular fix of the delicious food we miss from our real home! Nevertheless, we want to get back to Kuala Lumpur as soon as possible, but for now we need to be patient.
Greetings from Down Under, Pamela
This story makes me realize what we have been taking for granted: unlimited travel across the globe. I long for this freedom to travel again. Hopefully Francien and I will be roaming the world again soon after borders reopened, instead of being on this long staycation like we are doing right now. But until further notice, we will be stuck indoors for many more weeks to come.
I want to quote Terry, my ex-colleague living in Oregon, USA:
Strange times but enjoyable, because they are so different
Again, think about how you will remember this time once some sort of normality has returned to your live. For me, this will NOT have been a futile episode, but a time which started many changes in the way we all live our lives. I am curious to find out.
Stay inside, stay health and bounce back