Lockdown: the first 2 days (let’s call it the honeymoon stage)

I’m calling days 1 & 2 of lockdown the honeymoon stage as everything is reasonably normal for a start but late on day 2 the challenges are appearing.

I woke up Thursday morning relaxed and refreshed after a great sleep in my own bed. My bed was about the only familiar thing about being home - I’ve been reaching for light switches in the wrong place and forgot to close the shower door properly and flooded the bathroom, but that’s more about being away from home for so long rather than being in quarantine.

I’d planned ahead and ordered a skipping rope and fit band to be delivered. Add in my yoga mat and some water bottles as weights and I have an instant home gym. There are loads of trainers posting workouts on insta but I’ve chosen the Sweat app as I knew there were some ‘stuck at home’ programs available.

My guest room became the ‘gym’. I opened the balcony doors and off I went.

Valuable life lesson: skipping is not fun! But I’ll keep at it as I’ve ‘expanded’ somewhat during my time in Sg so need to focus on fitness and clean eating.

If you want to eat clean, go into quarantine. My fridge is full of fresh fruit and vegies (thanks Edna Bridges) so I have no choice but to be healthy.

I’d just finished training when I got my SMS message with my PIN number to activate my geo band through my stayathome app. I’m really lucky, loads of people have had technical issues with the app or haven’t received their PIN and have been worried they’ll be thrown in to govt quarantine centres. 

 

During the app set up process, I was given 60 seconds to walk around my apartment to track the perimeter of my lock down area. For those of you who’ve never lived in HK, you may think this isn’t enough time, but for us small apartment dwellers in HK, I did a few laps in the 60 seconds!

Now I may be in lock down but I still need to work. I’ve been working from home or on a split team arrangement in Singapore since early Feb, so WFH feels normal. It did take me a while to work out my ‘desk for the day’. Should have known that crossed legged on the lounge room floor would be my go to location!

Day one went well and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on life by not being able to walk out the apartment door.

Day 2 started much like day 1. Set up my gym (I’m a neat freak so pack it up when I’m finished) and smashed out a training session. I was feeling very virtuous! No flooded bathroom so I was able to log in early. Work is bloody busy, I’m still running marketing for SEA & ME and my APAC role has been expanded. I guess the upside is that events are non existent at the mo.

I was ticking along nicely until the fire alarm in my building went off. OMFG what to do! 
Song of the moment:

https://youtu.be/BN1WwnEDWAM

I tried calling the concierge and when they didn’t answer, I did what any normal person would do in the same situation, I asked FB what I should do (thanks for the comments). If you saw my FB post you’ll know that:
1. I got through to the concierge when the alarm had stopped. He suggested next time the alarm goes off, to poke my nose out and see if I can smell smoke. If I can, then I should leave, if not, continue my lockdown
2. I shared a post with the FB HK Quarantine page. The amazing lady who set up this page managed to get through to the govt helpline (I’d given up after 2 hours). She shared their advice on the site and I now have all the details about what to do next time (collect my valuables?? and evacuate, call a number if my home is destroyed so the govt can get my new quarantine location etc).

While I know that you should always evacuate, there have been quite a few stories of people who’ve been visited by the police and taken to the govt quarantine centre to start another 14 days lock down for supposedly leaving their designated quarantine area. One lady had 5 police at her door. I really don’t need that to happen ..... unless I get totally starved on human contact and am desperate!

It’s now Friday night and I’m still sitting on the floor pondering the big question of the day: what am going to do with my rubbish? I’ve accumulated 2 days of fruit and vegie peels and those banana skins will be very unpleasant soon. I’m thinking about putting the bag outside the apartment and putting a sign on the outside of my door asking the neighbours to pop the bag in the rubbish room. I did ask the concierge guys if they could pick it up and they told me to do it myself - obvs no idea what quarantine means! And I’m not getting carted off to quarantine jail for walking 10 steps outside my front door to the rubbish room! If you have any good ideas, please feel free to let me know.

I’ve had loads of friends offer to do my shopping and deliver to outside my door, knock and run (because no human contact) but I would never ask someone to swing by and be the garbage collector. That’s pushing friendship way too far!

I must go and put in an order for coffee pods. I have a feeling that an espresso martini will be calling my name very soon.

So far I’m doing ok but it’s now the weekend. The next couple of days will be interesting. 

Mood of the day: 7/10 (because fire alarm)
Step count: 2,659 at 8.10pm (OMFG I need to fix that tomorrow)
Mental health: very good
Yearning to go outside: low
Song of the day: https://youtu.be/SJUhlRoBL8M

Thanks to everyone for the messages. It really does make a difference x