#intentionally queueing this for international womens day

[mintys-corner]

[purplechengkaii]

Reflections during COVID 19 Pandemic and Crisis in the Philippines along its Quarantine Lockdowns in Luzon Region

The picture above was taken in February 2020, during my event at Privato Hotel - Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines and before the Philippine National Government declared “Quarantine Lockdown” in Luzon Region. I just captured it as I thought it was a great view for a stressful day because of the sleepless nights I had to organized everything for one of my organization’s important events in 2020.

Congested roads, sparkling city lights, long queues in malls and supermarkets, sale bazaars, 24/7 delivery services, and busiest movement of workers and tourists; these are the things temporarily we cannot experience nor witness in our daily lives due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID 19). All infected cities of different countries are currently in a “Quarantine Lockdown” policies and regulations in order to contain the spread of virus to anyone.

As the World Health Organization announced in late March 2020 that the virus is already in pandemic status and scientist around the world are exploring and trying to make a vaccine in a short period of time, sometimes, I cannot help it but, to worry a lot not only for myself but also to my family as majority of them are older women and men and in late-adulthood with pre-existing health conditions.

Despite my anxiety and worrisome in my mind, I realized that it was a bittersweet experience for me because my family have a disastrous experiences in SARS epidemic in 2003-2004 as some of my relatives living in Guangzhou and Shanghai have died in pneumonia cause by SARS virus. 

1. I prepared and preparing my physical and emotional strength before, during, and after the pandemic and lockdowns.

Since I spent some of my childhood days in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, I was (6) six years old when the SARS epidemic happened in Guangzhou. I had seen how the Cantonese reacted or responded to epidemic since the city was the epicenter of then SARS virus. I even became a “Person under Investigation” as my fever and my cough and colds neither can heal naturally nor using medications.

How the Filipinos committed the acts of hoarding of foods, household necessities, and medical supplies were the same scenarios I remembered in Guangzhou. At the hospital, I remembered how my grandmother in mother’s side begged the attending doctor and nurse to make time to check my symptoms as other doctors and nurses were at their maximum capacities to check every SARS patient.

Although the results of my medical became negative and in this crisis, my family is currently mourning for the deaths of some of my cousins, aunts, and my nanny, I perceived already how my family will be affected again by this new virus at their physical and mental strength.

Therefore, it is much better to prepare the physical and emotional stamina as the environment would be gloomy and depressing. (See the situations in the biggest supermarket in Cavite province)

Doing something beautiful yet productive during a pandemic is a choice but a great opportunity to unleash ourselves from stress and worrisome and our creativity.

Some of us would prefer jotting down their thoughts and emotions in a piece of paper before starting their day and going to sleep, or watching movies and drama series in Netflix, or doing some sketching or calligraphy which what I am doing and investing right now. Doing something intentionally not diverting your attention would be a great break for my physical and mental health.

Since social distancing is strictly implemented, thus, making you unable to visit your family or friends, I am finding someone whom I can talk comfortably with to unload my thoughts and emotions without being judged or misunderstood.

I always remember this mindset that all of these things happened are temporarily. It will not be healthy for me to expose further myself in the depths of anxiety.

2. I am grateful that my job is still needed during COVID 19 Pandemic.

In this reflection, not all of us cannot relate as some of my friends and relatives are in a “No Work, No Pay” set-up and I know that it can cause some financial and mental stress, since, being unemployed during a pandemic is a big impact on survival adeptness. 

However, being a Human Rights worker at Amnesty International - Philippine Section made me realized that my work cannot be halted as there are still marginalization and abuses happened even during COVID 19 Pandemic. The example of this scenario is the government-assistance fight between the poorest of the poor and the middle-class in Philippine Society. 

Because of this, I am grateful that in this difficult time, my job is still stable along with my monthly income, thus, I can still help my family in little ways such as contributing financial support for our monthly expenses and doing some of household choirs to lessen their pains and burdens since we are still in copping - up process due to the deaths of some of our relatives, cousins, and my nanny and my best friend because of COVID - 19.

I am also grateful that my job is stable because I am also saving-up for my expenses in Graduate School and for possible migration process either in China or Australia and my employer puts first the wellness and safety of its staff before anything else. 

3. Being frugal, prepared, and preppy in everything saved me from committing hoarding and panic-buying acts.

Before the COVID 19 Pandemic and Quarantine Lockdowns in Luzon Region, I have a “Minimum Wage” income due to my job at Amnesty International is an entry-level and I also have a limited experience and exposure in NGO works as I was just a volunteer encoder and translator at Save the Children International for only (3) three months.

For me, having a limited budget but have unlimited needs is a biggest challenge for a woman who is still in her early 20s and still figuring out how to handle adulthood properly. Therefore, I explore budgeting apps in Play Store to help me in budgeting anything to address my needs and only buy what I need for a month including hygiene and medicine needs. 

When the government announced the quarantine lockdown to its capital city, I was somehow felt relieved and contented as I already bought anything I need before heading to Cavite that time.

It was a grateful experience for me because being in this personality of frugality, preppy, and preparedness made me a laughingstock to my friends and during this time, where being prepared and traditional saved me from physical and mental stress. 

Throughout these reflections, my last reflection for this post is that, I am hoping that scientist can find an accurate vaccine to save COVID 19 patients who are still fighting for their lives and to those who already left this wonderful world especially to my cousins, my nanny, and my best friend, I am hoping we can still meet and bond with each other in my next lifetime. 

[anestiefel]

14 Ways to Piss Off Your Cruise Ship Captain and (Maybe) Land in Cruise Ship Jail

Carnival Cruise Ship/Oyster

1. Boarding Sick

Most cruise ships require that passengers fill out a health questionnaire before embarking. The form asks passengers to check yes if they’ve experienced any symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or sore throat in the last few days. Passengers who answer yes are examined by a member of the ship’s medical staff. The examination may lead to passengers boarding without incident, being confined to their cabin until their symptoms have passed, or denied boarding if suspected of having an illness of international public concern, like norovirus or coronavirus. Lying on your questionnaire and setting off a ship-wide epidemic is a surefire way to piss off the captain.

2. Skipping Hand Sanitization 

Related to the above. Even if you feel fit as a fiddle, you gotta wash your hands regularly on a cruise ship. Most cruise lines employ hand sanitizers whose singular job is to spritz hand disinfectant on every single passenger at embarkation and buffet restaurants. Don’t skip the spritz. Norovirus, flus, and a whole host of other nasty illnesses can spread quickly on a cruise ship. And, be sure to thoroughly wash your own hands after using the restroom and before eating. A healthy ship is a happy ship. If you do get super sick on a cruise ship, the captain may have to arrange for a second boat or helicopter to pick you up and take you to the nearest hospital.

3. Having Sex (Outside of your Cabin)

The rocking waves, the bottle of chablis with dinner, the uninterrupted and relaxing alone time…cruise ships can be very romantic places! But keep it in your cabin. Getting steamy in the spa, pool, or even under the stars on the deck you think is abandoned is a bad and illegal idea. Do you really want to be escorted back to your cabin with your pants around your ankles? Hang up the Do Not Disturb sign, and keep your sex life private.

4. Smuggling Alcohol on Board

Glass of wine on a cruise/Oyster

On most cruise ships, packing alcohol is a big no-no. That’s because the cruise line wants passengers to buy cocktails, wine, and poolside refreshments from the ship’s bars. In fact, most cruise lines don’t let passengers bring any sort of beverages on the ship (with the exception for medical reasons and baby formula). If you’re caught smuggling contraband on to the ship, either in a secret hidden flask or just by the bottle, security staff will confiscate it. Don’t worry too much — most of the time staff will hold the booze for you until the end of the cruise, when you’ll have to queue up in a line of shame to retrieve it. It’s probably easier just to buy a drinks package if you want to imbibe onboard.

5. Refusing to Go Through Security Screenings

On embarkation day and on return from all port calls, every single passenger goes through airport-style security screenings. Passengers and their belongings go through a metal detector and x-ray machine. This isn’t the airport, so you can leave on your shoes on and there isn’t a limit on liquid sizes (however, you can’t bring alcohol or soft drinks on most cruise lines, see above). If you refuse to go through the security lines, you’re not getting on the cruise ship. We promise the captain will be sorry, not sorry, if you try to get around the security screening.

6. Bringing Drugs on Board, or Doing Drugs 

You might think anything is legal on the high seas, but you’re wrong. When you are on a ship, you are under the laws of the country the ship is registered in. That means: you can’t bring drugs on a cruise ship and you can’t do drugs that someone else smuggled on a cruise ship. Even if you purchased weed gummies or marijuana in a state where they’re legal (or a country where they’re easily sold to tourists), marijuana isn’t legal on a cruise ship. This goes for embarkation day and port days. If you’re caught with drugs on the cruise ship, we guarantee the captain will hear about it, and you may face fines or imprisonment.

7. Forgetting Your Travel Documents

If you forget your passport or visas (required at some ports), you won’t be allowed on the ship. Double check that your passport doesn’t expire for at least six months — this pesky rule will keep you out of some countries.

8. Skipping the Emergency Drill

The emergency drill is a requirement for all passengers, and the ship won’t set sail until everyone on board knows where the emergency exits and life boats are located. If you skip this, or are very late, you’re holding the boat up and pissing off the captain. Plus, you really do need to know what to do and where to go in case of an emergency.

9. Buying Alcohol for Minors

Poolside Drink/Oyster

This one’s illegal and a good example of how you might end up in the ship’s clink. The minimum onboard drinking age is 21 years old for cruises departing from U.S. ports and 18 years old for cruises departing from non-U.S. ports. Trying to be a cool adult (or a creepy one) and buying a round for minors on a cruise ship is a terrible idea.

10. Fighting

We get it. Sharing quarters with family and strangers can get stressful, even on the most celebrated vacation. But if your argument over a towel on a pool chair gets physical, we can basically guarantee you’ll be on the captain’s bad passenger list. You may end up in cruise ship jail and with handcuffs at the next port. Keep it cool. No fighting on the cruise ship.

11. Destroying Cruise Property

Oooh, this one is serious. If you intentionally destroy cruise ship property…you’re going to be in deep trouble. Don’t carve your initials into the deck, don’t throw pool chairs overboard, and don’t intentionally break anything. It’s against cruise ship law.

12. Returning Late from Port Calls

Norwegian Breakaway/Oyster

It’s commonly known that if you return late from a cruise ship sponsored excursion, the captain will hold the ship for you before moving on to the next port of call. In some cases, the cruise will even pay to have you flown (or sent by boat) to catch up with the cruise at a later date. But, if you go off on your own and don’t return to the cruise ship on time, you might not be so lucky. The captain is within their rights to leave late passengers behind. They don’t like to do it, but if it’s the difference between making an entire ship of people late or leaving behind a few stragglers, we can guess which decision a pissed-off ship captain will choose.

13. Accessing Employee-Only Sections of the Ship

Cruise ships are designed to cater to every second of fun for passengers! Mega-cruises’ decks offer endless endless amenities: restaurants, casinos, pools, spas, arcades, ice rinks, bowling alleys, robot bars, ice bars, movie theaters, karaoke…you get the idea. But that doesn’t mean the entire cruise ship is available for curious passengers who want to explore. For crew safety and privacy, there are prohibited areas of the ship where passengers have no business. Trying to sneak a peek at the ship’s engine or bartender’s bunk is a very bad idea. You’ll definitely get caught by security, and be promptly escorted out of any restricted areas of the cruise ship.

14. Assuming the Cruise Captain is a Man 

We’ll forgive you for assuming the captain of a cruise ship has to be a man. Until very recently, men were the only sex trusted behind a cruise ship helm. Thankfully, that’s changing. In 2007, the first woman appointed captain of a cruise ship was Swedish Karin Stahre-Janson, who took command of Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas in 2007. Other lines have followed suit, and Belinda Bennett became the world’s first black woman cruise ship captain in 2019. There’s still a long way to go before the cruising industry reaches equality for minorities as cruise captains, but these women are paving the way. Don’t piss them off.

You’ll Also Like:

16 Things That Will Piss Off Your Cruise Ship Staff

9 Cruise Ship Rules You Might Not Know About

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