In Hong Kong we are now in our ninth week of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Since around 20th January schools and universities have been closed. At the same time the government shut down all non-essential government offices. Many businesses closed their offices with employees working from home. Children’s playgrounds, museums, theatres, gyms and other leisure facilities closed. Concerts, music festivals and sporting events, including the infamous Hong Kong Sevens, were cancelled.
Nowadays, it is rare to see people leave their homes without wearing face masks and if we do we will receive evil looks and even abuse on the street. Many offices, bars, clubs and restaurants will not allow us to enter until we have had our temperature checked. Hand sanitizer is readily available for us to use in banks, shops, offices, residential buildings, even on public transport, although pretty much all of us have our own supply to hand at all times. Buildings have strategically placed sanitized mats outside them for us to wipe our feet on before entering. Lift buttons are covered with plastic film, which are sanitized throughout the day. On top of this, we are constantly washing our hands. There is an ever-present scent of bleach and Dettol permeating the city.
Hong Kong has experienced a pandemic before with SARS and its legacy has remained etched into the core of society here. As a result everyone was poised to leap into action the moment news of the Covid-19 outbreak hit the news and being a collectivist society people have worked together for the greater good, regardless of the personal sacrifices they have had to make. Despite keeping our border with China open throughout, Hong Kong successfully managed the outbreak and we went from being a high risk area that people were fleeing from, to a sanctuary people wanted to return to as the pandemic took hold elsewhere. The inevitable outcome being that just when it looked as though our restrictions could ease up and life could return to some form of ‘normal’, a significant number of cases have been imported into the territory and we are experiencing additional stringent measures to maintain control.
While we have been living with this since January, the situation around the world and especially in Europe and the US, has literally exploded in the past week. It has been really quite frightening to watch the snail-paced reaction of Western countries, who had plenty of warning that this was heading their way. Why weren’t they following the lead of Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Taiwan who implemented very strict measures from the moment the first infections were diagnosed and had been able to keep on top of the situation?
I have felt incredibly worried about the unclear advice given by governments – and I refer specifically to the UK government as that is the one I follow on a daily basis – and how seemingly unprepared they have been. I have been overwhelmed with anxiety watching the UK lay out their initial strategy of herd immunity without clearly spelling out the vital importance of the older population self-isolating – and making them understand what that actually means. I have looked on in dismay at the news footage of panic buying, which we experienced here, but that the UK has taken to an entirely new level. I have been alarmed at the scenes of vast crowds heading to the beaches and parks over the weekend, completely disregarding the advice to socially distance. I have felt ashamed of the few who have thought of no one except for themselves or simply haven’t yet grasped the potential impact of this pandemic. I have watched the government delay enforcing containment measures, while watching the UK infection and death rates rise each day and I have felt sick with worry for my friends and family who are experiencing this first hand.
However, despite the intense worry and utter uncertainty, this pandemic has also shone a spotlight on a number of things that I'd never really taken the time to consider before.
The first thing I did in January, before clearing the supermarket shelves of loo roll (joke!), was to look at our monthly income and outgoings. I identified where we could make savings and negotiated those savings. I found out the cost of relocation and how quickly it could be arranged. I looked to see if we could find somewhere cheaper to live in Hong Kong. The list goes on… I realise now that this was my way of trying to regain control of a situation that really is beyond my control. I guess other people resorted to clearing supermarket shelves and stocking up on loo roll as an alternative approach to taking back some control.
As things started going crazy in Europe, this quote from Aron Moss, a rabbi from Sydney, Australia popped up on one of the social media channels, “It is not that we have lost our sense of certainty. We have lost our illusion of certainty. We never had it to begin with. This could be majorly unsettling, or amazingly liberating…. Close your eyes and feel the uncertainty, make peace with it, let yourself be taken by it. Embrace your cluelessness.”
I have had plenty of time to mull over this in the past week or so and I have found it quite comforting. It simply reinforces the importance of living in the present and being grateful for what we have now in this moment in time.
I have discovered that I can get an enormous amount of pleasure from the simple things – taking a hike with a friend, finding the ingredients for a recipe at the wet market, cooking a meal, beating David at cards, reading a book, singing (when no one is around to hear me), writing. With the schools here being closed, my life has been slowed down and I have been able to identify some really simple things I can do, that I thoroughly enjoy that cost very little money. It really is the ordinary things that can bring us an immense amount of happiness.
I know that I am super lucky to have such a close-knit family and I feel secure in the knowledge that if we lost everything, one of them would take us under their wing and prop us up until we could get our lives back on course again. Likewise, I know that David and I would do the same for any of them. Being able to share our worries with each other and to reassure one another has been a life saver recently.
These are scary times and none of us know what is going to happen next. However, positives can be drawn from the most challenging of times. Today, I have money in my bank account. My family, my friends and I are well. I have a roof over my head. I have food in the fridge. I have chocolate in the cupboard. Right now, everything is fine and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Let’s just: keep focusing on what’s happening now and worry about the future later; try to find happiness in the simple things in life; and check in with one another regularly to make sure we are all getting the support we need. This will pass.
Nowadays, it is rare to see people leave their homes without wearing face masks and if we do we will receive evil looks and even abuse on the street. Many offices, bars, clubs and restaurants will not allow us to enter until we have had our temperature checked. Hand sanitizer is readily available for us to use in banks, shops, offices, residential buildings, even on public transport, although pretty much all of us have our own supply to hand at all times. Buildings have strategically placed sanitized mats outside them for us to wipe our feet on before entering. Lift buttons are covered with plastic film, which are sanitized throughout the day. On top of this, we are constantly washing our hands. There is an ever-present scent of bleach and Dettol permeating the city.
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| Me in a face mask |
Hong Kong has experienced a pandemic before with SARS and its legacy has remained etched into the core of society here. As a result everyone was poised to leap into action the moment news of the Covid-19 outbreak hit the news and being a collectivist society people have worked together for the greater good, regardless of the personal sacrifices they have had to make. Despite keeping our border with China open throughout, Hong Kong successfully managed the outbreak and we went from being a high risk area that people were fleeing from, to a sanctuary people wanted to return to as the pandemic took hold elsewhere. The inevitable outcome being that just when it looked as though our restrictions could ease up and life could return to some form of ‘normal’, a significant number of cases have been imported into the territory and we are experiencing additional stringent measures to maintain control.
While we have been living with this since January, the situation around the world and especially in Europe and the US, has literally exploded in the past week. It has been really quite frightening to watch the snail-paced reaction of Western countries, who had plenty of warning that this was heading their way. Why weren’t they following the lead of Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Taiwan who implemented very strict measures from the moment the first infections were diagnosed and had been able to keep on top of the situation?
I have felt incredibly worried about the unclear advice given by governments – and I refer specifically to the UK government as that is the one I follow on a daily basis – and how seemingly unprepared they have been. I have been overwhelmed with anxiety watching the UK lay out their initial strategy of herd immunity without clearly spelling out the vital importance of the older population self-isolating – and making them understand what that actually means. I have looked on in dismay at the news footage of panic buying, which we experienced here, but that the UK has taken to an entirely new level. I have been alarmed at the scenes of vast crowds heading to the beaches and parks over the weekend, completely disregarding the advice to socially distance. I have felt ashamed of the few who have thought of no one except for themselves or simply haven’t yet grasped the potential impact of this pandemic. I have watched the government delay enforcing containment measures, while watching the UK infection and death rates rise each day and I have felt sick with worry for my friends and family who are experiencing this first hand.
However, despite the intense worry and utter uncertainty, this pandemic has also shone a spotlight on a number of things that I'd never really taken the time to consider before.
1. Nothing is certain
Before the pandemic struck, I felt that I had my life fairly well mapped out and I felt relatively secure. Suddenly the rug has been ripped from under my feet and since January I have been battling with the ‘What ifs?’, that had always been there because I am a natural born worrier, but they are no longer muted in a cupboard – they are screaming at me from the top of their lungs 24/7. What if we lose our jobs? What if we can’t afford to relocate back to England? What if we can’t find work back in England? What if our tenants stop paying their rent? What if? What if? What if?The first thing I did in January, before clearing the supermarket shelves of loo roll (joke!), was to look at our monthly income and outgoings. I identified where we could make savings and negotiated those savings. I found out the cost of relocation and how quickly it could be arranged. I looked to see if we could find somewhere cheaper to live in Hong Kong. The list goes on… I realise now that this was my way of trying to regain control of a situation that really is beyond my control. I guess other people resorted to clearing supermarket shelves and stocking up on loo roll as an alternative approach to taking back some control.
As things started going crazy in Europe, this quote from Aron Moss, a rabbi from Sydney, Australia popped up on one of the social media channels, “It is not that we have lost our sense of certainty. We have lost our illusion of certainty. We never had it to begin with. This could be majorly unsettling, or amazingly liberating…. Close your eyes and feel the uncertainty, make peace with it, let yourself be taken by it. Embrace your cluelessness.”
I have had plenty of time to mull over this in the past week or so and I have found it quite comforting. It simply reinforces the importance of living in the present and being grateful for what we have now in this moment in time.
2. Gaining pleasure from the simple things
Something I had never appreciated until the pandemic took hold was that it is apparent now that many of us are only a couple of pay slips away from being up shit creek. If salaries and commissions dry up and jobs are lost, there are very few of us who have the luxury of significant savings to keep us afloat for long. Overnight we have had to cut out all unnecessary spending and just focus on what we need. I have been forced to wake up to the fact that we really don’t need very much and it has emphasized just how wasteful we have been with our hard earned cash.I have discovered that I can get an enormous amount of pleasure from the simple things – taking a hike with a friend, finding the ingredients for a recipe at the wet market, cooking a meal, beating David at cards, reading a book, singing (when no one is around to hear me), writing. With the schools here being closed, my life has been slowed down and I have been able to identify some really simple things I can do, that I thoroughly enjoy that cost very little money. It really is the ordinary things that can bring us an immense amount of happiness.
3. Never taking family or friends for granted
Whenever crisis hits, I lean heavily on my family and my friends to get me through and Covid-19 is probably the biggest crisis most of us have had to face so far in our lives. Since the virus took a grip of Europe I have been in daily contact with my parents, my brothers and their families, my cousins and my closest friends. This is the first time that all of us have simultaneously been hit by an event, which will undoubtedly alter the course of all of our lives forever. There is something very comforting knowing that we are all going through this together. Over the past week I have spent a lot of time reconnecting with all the people I love the most in my life over WhatsApp, Facetime and Zoom and it has opened my eyes to just how much I take these important relationships for granted. Nothing lifts the spirits faster than a good catch up with an old mate or a family member and right now I have plenty of time on my hands to do this.I know that I am super lucky to have such a close-knit family and I feel secure in the knowledge that if we lost everything, one of them would take us under their wing and prop us up until we could get our lives back on course again. Likewise, I know that David and I would do the same for any of them. Being able to share our worries with each other and to reassure one another has been a life saver recently.
These are scary times and none of us know what is going to happen next. However, positives can be drawn from the most challenging of times. Today, I have money in my bank account. My family, my friends and I are well. I have a roof over my head. I have food in the fridge. I have chocolate in the cupboard. Right now, everything is fine and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Let’s just: keep focusing on what’s happening now and worry about the future later; try to find happiness in the simple things in life; and check in with one another regularly to make sure we are all getting the support we need. This will pass.
