My cousin, Yanhao, who was self-quarantined alone on the other side of Kunming, played a large role in keeping my spirits lifted during quarantine. We shared daily food photos, talked on the phone well into the night, kept track of each other’s workout progress, and one time she sent me photos of every single page in Who Moved My Cheese? so we could discuss it over the phone.
She spent her days painting, cooking, meditating, TikTok-ing, reading, and making video calls. She also kept me updated with positive Chinese news, reassuring me that the government was doing its job well. Whether or not it was a reflection of state propaganda, it didn’t matter. I needed the boost of morale and confidence in the system to keep me safe, and perhaps more importantly, to keep me sane.
Yanhao reminded me that as long as I took the necessary measures to keep myself and my mom safe, there was no need to be scared.
She is a Buddhist, an entrepreneur, an artist, and a woman who has called Kunming her home since birth. I asked her to share her experience of the pandemic with you because, despite her tough skin, this crisis has affected her deeply and spiritually, as it may have for many of you.
Yanhao originally wrote this in Chinese, but her younger brother, Jinyu, translated it into English (THANK YOU)!
Yanhao’s reflection on the coronavirus pandemic:
On January 17th, 2020, my cousin Emily, who was staying with me left to attend her friend’s wedding in Vietnam. At that time, the coronavirus had begun to spread in Wuhan, but I had very little clue about it. Local news media in Kunming did not talk much about it either.
Only until the lockdown of Wuhan City on January 23rd did I grasp the importance of wearing a facemask, but I still had not developed the habit of wearing one, and I often left it in the car by accident.
I was overjoyed to see that the barbecue vendor that has stayed open 365 days a year for the last 20 years was still open for business. But the very next day, it closed for the first time in 20 years.
Chinese New Year’s eve took place on the 24th of January this year, the most important holiday in Chinese traditions. Like past years, my family organized a reunion dinner, bringing about 30 family members together.
Only one of them wore a mask to the dinner, and it was my cousin who works for an airline and has more contact with outsiders, so he was more alert.
The next day, our family got together again for lunch. Afterward, I drove around the city for a whole hour looking for a bookstore, but barely anything was open. That’s when I realized how serious the outbreak was.
But then I remembered it was not unusual for stores to be closed during the Chinese New Year holiday.
That night, on my way home, I was overjoyed to see that the barbecue vendor that has stayed open 365 days a year for the last 20 years was still open for business. But the very next day, it closed for the first time in 20 years.
From that point on, my life really started to change.
A country needs a wise leader like our chairman, Xi Jinping.
News reports on the coronavirus blotted out the sky and the earth, occupying the screen of my phone day in and day out.
The first thing I did was to go to the market to buy enough groceries to last me for more than two weeks. Filled with vegetables, fruits, instant noodles, rice, canned food, frozen chicken and pork, my fridge became unprecedentedly full.
Then I went to pharmacies, hoping to get some masks, but I was too late. Disinfectant alcohol and masks were all out of stock. So, under the staff’s recommendation, I bought anti-cough, anti-cold, anti-flu and anti-viral medications, costing me over 1300 RMB (183 USD).
When I got home, I still felt I was missing supplies. My father brought me 20 KN95 masks and a bottle of disinfectant the next day, and I felt more at ease.
And so, my stay-at-home life began.
I’d wake up and read the news. Alarmed at all the shocking reports every day, I’d call my father. In his tone of voice, I always sensed calm and ease, making me feel like I was overreacting.
Of all the people I know, my dad is the most intelligent and wisest person. His handling of the situation assured me that as long as we took good preventative measures, nothing is so scary.
“It’s not that times have gotten easier. It’s just that someone else is carrying the load for you.”
From then on, I became the one who comforted the rest of the family.
This new reality with the pandemic proved to me that a family unit needs a wise leader to guide the rest of the members through difficult times. The same goes for a country. A country needs a wise leader like our chairman, Xi Jinping.
He demonstrates how a country can go to all lengths and measures necessary to protect its people from harm and unite an entire nation of citizens. Living in such a great country, I deeply feel that there is nothing to be afraid of and that we can get through difficult times together.
Since I live alone, the temporary yet complete isolation from the outside world has made me stronger. I have finally grasped the meaning of the saying that “great solitude bears great wisdom.”
Seeing the workers go to the frontline to fight the pandemic, civil servants persevere at their duties for the order of the city and experts conducting scientific research for the welfare of the people, among others, testifies the expression that, “It’s not that times have gotten easier. It’s just that someone else is carrying the load for you.”
I appreciate these people from the bottom of my heart.
The COVID-19 pandemic is not just one person’s or one country’s business.
At the same time, I look down on myself and feel ashamed. I thought I ought to contribute somehow, so I started chanting sutras every day, devoting Buddha’s blessings to everyone, wishing people good health and immunity against COVID-19.
I know that I have very little power, but I’m sure that I’m not the only one doing this.
Knowing that many hospitals and public places lack disinfectant supply, I searched online and gathered anything I could find to deliver to them. Their smiles when they received these goods made me feel like I was truly alive.
Life is short. Making a little contribution to society within my capability makes my existence worthwhile, right? If incapable of contributing monetarily, it would still be a significant contribution to avoid spreading rumors and let society be filled not with terror and panic, but rather with justice.
I hope everyone can keep their spirits lifted and use this time to find their place in the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic is not just one person’s or one country’s business. When people discuss it, have they thought about the fact that we are made of the same blood and that the Earth is home to all of us? If we only dwell on attributing the cause to others and make irresponsible claims, would extraterrestrials look down on us and laugh at our foolishness?
I hope the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic and can return to our beautiful, harmonious, and healthy societal family.
I hope everyone can keep their spirits lifted and use this time to find their place in the world. If you get really bored, reading a book may be more valuable than listening to fake news and rumors.
Perhaps by the end of the pandemic, you will become a specialist of some sort. A painter? A gourmet chef? A musician? A writer? As some say, positive people tend to have good luck!
I wish all the sick people recover soon and that the deceased rest in peace. Amitabha.
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Thanks—that was a very interesting perspective!