Quarantine Day 21: I Put on a Dress Today

I am going to wear normal clothes today. These past few weeks of self-quarantine, mismatched layers of long-underwear and sweaters have become both my pajamas and daytime-wear.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to lounge around in pajamas all day. But it started to cling to my skin, and this morning it really started to rub me the wrong way, literally. I was uncomfortable. 

So, I put on a dress and a nice cardigan (still over long-underwear because it’s chilly in Kunming). Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day and I’ve got a hot date with my momma. 

You may have seen in the news that the number of infected persons skyrocketed overnight. Don’t be alarmed though. It’s because doctors have changed the criteria for diagnosing the virus. This is good news because it means more people can be diagnosed, hospitalized, and treated sooner. 

Meanwhile, my mom and I are still making the most of our days at home. My coffee beans are running low, though…will, too, my sanity?!?!!  

We ventured outside the other day after a rainfall. My mom likes to think that the rain purified the air, so it was safe(r) to walk around. We had accumulated a pile of garbage, so it was time to go outside anyway. The elevator in our building smelled of bleach, and my mom made sure it was empty before we stepped inside. 

She read some articles on WeChat that a meter is a safe distance to stand from the next person. She also read that the virus is airborne. I keep telling her WeChat is not a reputable news source. In fact, WeChat is not a news-source at all! 

The few times I’ve been outside I was always surprised by the number of people out and about. After the rainfall, I was alarmed at the even greater number of folks strolling around our compound. I guess we all needed some fresh air. 

My cousin dropped by last week with a bowl of braised chicken wings. (I miss chicken so much. Pork is the only meat currently sold in my neighborhood, and the prices are super inflated because of a recent South African swine flu limiting the amount of pork we have domestically…) She noted how lively my compound was. 

*In Chinese cities, apartment buildings are clumped together in gated communities, which I refer to as residential compounds. For example, my compound has 9 apartment buildings and we have two gates, manned by security guards, to enter/exit from. There are flowers and trees and pagodas, a children’s park, a parking lot, and space to stroll around. Cats, too. 

Compared to other residential compounds, the management of mine is either totally under-resourced, lazy or just lax. At most other compounds, only residents are allowed to enter, so no deliveries and no visitors. At one of my uncle’s compounds, they get their temperature checked and must scan a QR code to “check-in” at the gate. At another uncle’s compound, residents have to apply for a “visa” to come and go. 

My mom and I, on the other hand, come and go as we please. Nobody monitors our temperature, and we continue to get water delivered to our door. 

On January 27th, the last time I left my neighborhood to visit my uncle (before all those restrictions were put in place), there were barely any cars on the road. Buses were still running, but no passengers. 

That day after the rainfall, I convinced my mom to walk to the park ten minutes away—this is the furthest we’ve ventured since January. It was closed. 

But I noticed how many more cars were on the road. The gypsy cabs that hustle outside the elementary school were back. I was surprised the salon was open and even more shocked to see that a man was actually getting a haircut. 

We stopped in the bakery that has been open the whole time to stock up on cookies and bread and made another stop at the grocery store right outside our gate. This grocery store has been our godsend. 

The store sells everything we need (except chicken and my beloved tofu). Leafy greens, potatoes, eggs, milk, chocolate, shampoo, and more. I haven’t seen beef or lamb anywhere…I wonder what the Muslim community is subsisting on. Maybe it’s a good time for all of us to convert to vegetarianism (but what is vegetarianism without tofu?). 

I don’t have plans of going outside today but I’ll probably spend some time on the balcony when the sun descends further westward. 3 pm is when we get our share of sunlight. 

Until then I’ll prance around at home in my dress, and my mom will continue to dissect news from WeChat. The latest: napping can lead to a longer life. Actually, this I believe.