Honestly, I still don’t know for sure what I feel about the circuit breaker extension that was announced yesterday afternoon. I’d initially expected an extension of about 2 weeks. But when it was announced that the extension was going to be till 1st June, I couldn’t believe it.
And when I saw the videos and photos of people queueing up to buy bubble tea last night – and the resulting commotion at one particular outlet – it felt like the whole “hoarding at supermarkets” all over again. I just never realised how serious the addiction to bubble tea is in Singapore. I think by the end of the circuit breaker, we’d have lots of healthier Singaporeans.
I don’t think it’s an easy decision to make. One more month of businesses not running means one more month of economy standstill and working from home. Kids will remain home, though there won’t be online lessons since the June holidays are also moved forwarded to May instead. One good thing is that I probably won’t hear my neighbour’s kid’s teacher getting frustrated about teaching math problems online. Tee hee.
There are many things we can’t control, like the people who want to gather outdoors with others with completely no regard for the consequences of their actions. But we can control our reactions.
So I choose to see the silver lining in all of this.
Aurélie gets to see more of us, and we of her. Although we’d still be working, we are physically with one another and that is actually really precious. She’s pretty sensible too. When she sees us on the desktop/laptop, she knows we’re busy and so pretty much entertains herself. Unless it’s time for a feed.
I can still send parcels to Trouvée.Co’s shoppers. My e-commerce can still run. Although international shipping is very much delayed, I can still fulfill orders on my end.
I can still attend online courses and meet clients virtually for my real estate work. Yep, I finally downloaded Zoom even with the privacy issues. Those cool backgrounds look like fun; I can’t wait to see myself in Diagon Alley and in a Bali villa 2 hours later.
There are online Pilates classes, like the ones by Breathe Pilates, where I’ve been going to for my prenatal, post-natal and reformer sessions. I can also continue my weekly mat Pilates sessions at home watching videos on YouTube. My favourite instructor online is Bailey Brown, because her workouts are great, well-instructed and she teaches ON THE BEACH – my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE place on this earth. The workout below is one of my regulars:
It may not be obvious but I’m an introvert. The good thing is that I actually have a valid to stay home now. What really dampened my mood was the closure of the beaches some time back. I’ve since come to terms with it, and you can be sure I’m already planning our next summer beach getaway!
Dessert shops can still deliver cakes and stuff to your door, so we can still celebrate birthdays. Sending our loved ones stuff is a great way to reconnect with one another. Things like:
- flowers
- cakes
- hand written letters
- pretty little bling
- self-painted greeting cards
We can also try our hand at something new. Who knows, we might end up with a new hobby. I might start collecting stamps. (I mean, have you seen these heritage hotel ones by Singpost?) I tried painting the other day. It turned out to be a horrible piece of art and I threw it away after both Xavier and Aurélie gave me blank faces when I showed them my final work. I might try again.
For our meals, we don’t usually have hawker fare because we have a helper who cooks. We tried to order vegetables from a vendor in a Facebook group set up for vendors selling produce, but the seller didn’t seem very interested in our business and never followed up despite us texting them several times. So we kind of gave up on the idea of ordering groceries from independent sellers. Thus, I’m still heading to NTUC or Cold Storage every few days, since it’s quite difficult to get stock or delivery slots online.
All of us are trying our best, so don’t be too hard on yourself.
There will be days when you feel shitty and can’t seem to get anything done. Then, for those days, I say just tuck yourself in bed, listen to your favourite playlist while reading your favourite blogs. Or, indulge in Netflix shows (here are my top 10 binge-worthy ones) while you enjoy your Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie tub. You might even play Animal Crossing or virtual Mahjong all day.
In a nutshell, there will always be someone worse off than you. And there will always be someone better off than you. So just live in your present and embrace what life offers. At the same time, offer help wherever you can and be at peace with your actions or non-actions.
Stay safe and much love!