Quarantine in the City, Reflections on the New Normal

Hello po! How are you doing my friends? I sincerely hope you are well. I myself am trying to cope  with the new normal. As of this writing, June 19, 2020, which is also Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal's birthday, my hometown, Manila, is in GCQ!

General Community Quarantine means more relaxed measures compared to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in areas identified as low to moderate risk in Covid-19 spread; reduced capacity of public transport; 50-100% opening of select establishments subject to minimum health standards; and if there is no further deterioration, it will be more relaxed.

Safety measures our household has been practicing in light of this pandemic:

1. Observe physical distancing (yes, PHYSICAL is the right term as compared to social distancing as we try to stay in touch or keep close online socially).
2. As soon as we get home (from buying grocery), we do not touch anything with unwashed hands. We go straight to the bathroom and take a bath. 
3. We disinfect all the grocery and the things we used or wore outside.
4. We do not walk our outdoor footwear inside the home so as not to dirty the floor. We wash or disinfect them in the gate and we carry them inside. In malls, they use a disinfection mat.
5. Always carry alcohol or hand sanitizer.
6. Wear face mask when we go out.
7. Frequent handwashing (minimum 20 seconds).
8. Take vitamins and choose healthy, nutritious beverages and meals.
9. Minimize stress and get enough sleep.
10. Stay at home. The virus does not walk, people move it!
11. Stay up to date with news alerts and developments.

I must admit, it was easy for me to stay at home for almost 3 months. After all, I am first and foremost a housewife, only occasionally engaging in blogging work. At the start, I was strong and almost fearless for we were reassured it is nothing to be extra scared of. Hey, humans survived the Spanish flu and black death before right? However, as the days fly by, whenever I see the news on the television or online, I tend to tense up. Not a full blown panic attack, but a creeping worry over this uncertain time.

Where will we get our income now that offices are closed? How about the community's health and safety?

Some employers are kind enough to still provide compensation to employees even when they are at home unable to report to work, but there truly are businesses that closed down. Some of the government's press release ayuda do not even reach the rightful beneficiaries and the LGU's box is definitely not enough.  Issues on Locally Stranded Individuals (LSI) living on streets, children's schooling, government officials who got away despite violating quarantine protocol, and many more. These national problems are enough to keep me angry and frustrated so I do my part in speaking up.

I am trying to adjust, as this pandemic has proven challenging and exhausting. When I feel sad about it, I try to count my blessings instead (as they say, staying alive is already a blessing)! I am blessed that my husband is a strong support system.

We also engage in various activities to keep ourselves entertained, to learn and improve the self! Here I share with you what we do:

• New kitchen skills! My husband is into cooking, as he is the better chef between us, lol! He whipped up new dishes. I, on the other hand, am into making healthy smoothies and shakes to boost  our immunity. I am also planning to bake once we have appliances for this.

• Bonding! Me and the husband have been watching Pinoy comedy programs we grew up to (think Babalu and Dolphy)! I also have been binge-watching a lot of great anime!
• Learning NEW language. Me and the husband turned to a website and we diligently study Spanish very night. As I tell him, we are "classmates"!
• Praying and having faith that this (pandemic) too shall pass! I have more time to read the Bible now and I  attend online Mass.
• Practicing meditation. There are free classes online. Helps us stay grounded and focused.
• Participating in online courses and seminars, even exercise/ work-outs!
• Reading digital books or the old school paper prints!!! Before, even the young ones' battlecry is YOLO, but now people cannot really travel much. As for me, I believe that reading books is almost equivalent to a journey, discovering new fantastic places, and gaining experience. 

• Spring cleaning! Tidied up the house and found a lot of the missing stuff we thought were lost. Disposed unwanted items and everything was spick and span.
• Urban gardening. Lucky are those with green thumbs like my mom and MIL! They grow their herbs, fruits, veggies, flowers, plants! 
• Taking care of companion animals. Our family has cats and dogs, mostly rescued strays. Having a pet not only teaches one responsibility and encourages exercise, even the mere act of playing with them or caressing their fur relieves stress and anxiety! Studies show that interacting with animals decreases cortisol (stress related hormone), lowers blood pressure and boosts mood! Truly ideal friends to combat loneliness and depression! Plus, pets do not spread or infect us with Covid-19!

• Turning to chatting with friends and family for social support. Since we cannot visit and hug each other in person even though we would like to, interacting with them thru video calls is the next best thing!
• We have been bitten by the bug and we succumbed to it. Yes, we are among those who danced, lip synced and acted in a viral app.
• Thru my cellphone, I write stories in an app. This is a way for me to express myself creatively. Soon, I will also resume drawing and dabbling in arts.  
• Exploring online business/ selling as this is popular more than ever these days!
• I am also planning to find an online job or a company that allows work-from-home. I regularly receive e-mail alerts when there is a fit for my education and experience. Time to polish my resume on my trusted job finding website that I relied on since I was a fresh college grad!

All these are very dependent on technology! For our tools - gadgets like cellphones, tablets, laptops, or what have you, websites, software, apps, social media, Mobile data or Wi-Fi- grateful to the brilliant inventors and enablers! 

However people choose to call it- Novel Coronavirus (nCoV), Covid-19, SARS CoV-2, Wuhan flu or beerus, it is undeniable that it truly changed the landscape. Yes, there are numerous tragic events, but we must try to look at the positive side. Amidst the very real issue of climate change, there is now less pollution. The silver lining - Mother Earth, Nature is healing. Endangered wildlife are now being respected, protected and not taken as livestock.

When we appreciate that some circumstance are changing for the better, we too would be resilient people and flexible like a bamboo. It becomes easier to adapt and move forward. Accept and embrace the new normal.

Since Covid-19 infections grow exponentially, we realize we must not be selfish. We have to look out for our brothers and sisters as much as we care for ourselves. One infection leads to thousands!  Do not hoard, be disciplined, proactive and responsible! 

As the saying goes, the only thing certain in life is death and taxes. This pandemic teaches us that we must value every second of this short life. Make the most of every day and make our existence meaningful! Seek wisdom, be kind and compassionate! In the end, life still is beautiful. :)

This story is an entry to ComCo Southeast Asia’s “Write to Ignite Blogging Project”. The initiative is a response to the need of our times, as every story comes a long way during this period of crisis. Igniting and championing the human spirit, “Write to Ignite Blog Project” aims to pull and collate powerful stories from the Philippine blogging communities to inspire the nation to rise and move forward amidst the difficult situation. This project is made possible by ComCo Southeast Asia, co-presented by Eastern Communications and sponsored by Electrolux, Jobstreet and Teleperformance.