I went on lockdown on January 23. I remember walking back from the ALDI with about $50 worth of groceries. I thought, "Is this the last time I'll be going out this way for a while?" And sure enough, it was. They closed down that particular gate in and out of my community the next day, which is a bummer because it was the gate closest to my apartment, the shortest route to the subway, the shortest route to the best malls and shopping areas. Two months later, it's still closed.
But not all is bad about lockdown. It's not like you can't go outside. It just means that when you go outside, you can't talk to anybody. You can't purposelessly linger somewhere. It's best if you have a patio or a yard while on lockdown because there is really no point in going outside all that often since there's nothing much to do anyway, except buy groceries and go to the pharmacy.
These days Shanghai is feeling pretty safe. With each passing day, the traffic jam that queues up outside my apartment building in Shanghai gets longer and longer. More and more people are re-joining the hustle and bustle that is China. People are feeling more confident that a semblance of normalcy can somehow be achieved here in the coming days and weeks. It won't be the same as it was before, but at least we'll be able to go outside and enjoy some time in the sun. Maybe even go to the park as a community.
At least in this most important of world financial centers, that's the emerging feeling. At the same time, other financial centers of note - namely New York and London - are plunging into the depths of dealing with the coronavirus. The “ghost town” vibe that plagued us here in Shanghai just one short month ago now moves on to more fertile grounds in the West.
How long will the effects of the virus last in the West? Well, dear reader, that depends on you. Do you have the will to #StayStrongStayInside or do you just gotta head down to the pub for a coupla pints? Maybe hit the town for one last hurrah with your buds...
Well, in the past few days in Hong Kong, we have found out just how costly such a night can be. 16 new cases were found in the Central entertainment district.🥂
In combination with the rising threat of imported cases from the shitshow that is now Europe, we are now looking dead on into the potential for a "second wave" of coronavirus infections. This threat makes it paramount that you chill out with your social gathering for just a little bit longer. Yes, we should go out and about and enjoy whatever freedom of movement we have. But, please, do your drinking together online via Zoom like a concerned citizen. It's cheaper anyway!
Instead consider taking up these hobbies while you are stuck at home in self-isolation:
Read a book.📚
Write a novel.👨🏻💻
Get fit.🏋🏻♂️
Start a side hustle.🤹🏻♂️
Learn to cook.👩🏽🍳
Launch a startup.🕯
Learn a language.🤓
Do whatever you want. Just do it at home. I’m here to tell you, to SHOW you in fact, the answer to this 🦠 is pretty simple. And it’s not 🧻!
If the whole world stays in for 1 month, it’s over. Finit. 完了!
How hard can that really be?
Thanks for the info.
In Israel people have been going outside when the sun came out and generally keeping their distance from others.
But some in the Health Ministry think we shouldn't go out at all - which is completely unrealistic when you have 3 kids under 3.
You actually need that Vitamin D you get from sunlight! It helps fight lung infections specifically. Those of us with kids have to take the kids out (or we'll get sick from lack of proper sleep!). I just kinda stick to my own and if any other kid comes over to play I shoo them away. I hate that I have to do that. But times like these...
Good point re the vitamin D! They put Spanish Flu patients outside for this reason.
Thanks for the post. It's important to understand what's happening in different parts of the world. I'm in Portugal, here the worst phase is yet to arrive. I think the next couple of weeks are going to be real bad. I'm in lock down for a week. So far people are allowed to go out but advised not to do it unless they have a good reason. Eventually I'll have to go out to get rid of garbage and to buy some groceries. Fortunately I'm ready to stay at home for a month as I saw what was happening and decided to prepare.
I think the important thing I want to convey here is that it eventually does pass. We are slowly opening up in Shanghai. You just gotta stay in and do some of these projects and hope that your leaders will have held it together when you come out the other side.
We have a complete lock down in India today , hope it will help stop the community spreading of corona.
Good luck, man. Just trust that it's the right thing to do. Otherwise, it's chaos.
The virus starts to increase in countries near your border like in India. You right that is an opportunity to make something for your future while at home. :)
Yeah, my friend in India told me that the whole country is going on lockdown and if you're spotted outside violating the quarantine, you might be sent to jail.
That's what has to be done there. India has so many poor people and if it catches on in some of those communities on the street, the health care infrastructure is going to get overwhelmed.
In New York City, the National Guard is being sent in. It's gonna be a critical 2-3 week period here, as I wrote yesterday.
This virus is a test for humanity.