#myfirstpandemic

[debi-in-her-20s]

Is it me??

Is it only me or there are more people feeling the way that I am? Like the empty ground.

I don't know what I want with my life. I get tired easily. I know I have to work hard but I don't have the energy and motivation to do so. This is not me. I feel like a very different person these days, not in a good way though. I was always a bright kid back then, when I was in my kindergarten, middle school and high school. As I grow up I am finding everything to be difficult. I am scared I might disappoint the people who believe in me. I am scared to dream, thinking I might fail. I don't want to fail.

I don't want my dreams broken.

[exoticfloweird]

Let me know what do you guys think about this picture, I’m trying to get new hobbies 📸

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 44 - Tidying Up

Today was a very productive day for me because I didn’t have to cook lunch or dinner.  The lunch takeout from the Chinese buffet is such a large portion, that we can have it for both meals and is now a weekly tradition.  So, today was the perfect day to start sorting through my clothes the Marie Kondo way.  If you are not familiar with her method, she recommends emptying the entire closet and putting it in a giant pile.  Then it is important to hold each item of clothing, and one should only keep it if it “sparks joy”.  If not, then you should thank the item of clothing and then say goodbye to it.  (I learned this from watching the Netflix show titled “Tidying Up”.)

This was actually quite pleasant to do and I felt myself getting in the groove of sorting the clothes, and I was even talking to them after awhile.  However, I had to loosen the “sparks joy” criteria to allow for things that are good wardrobe basics as well as things I recently purchased or that were recently gifted to me.  I was quite pleased with my progress today, and have given myself one week to complete this exercise.  Goals.  One way I cope with the lockdown.

Mental Status

Tempers are short in general, but we have acknowledged this as a family and always apologize to each other shortly thereafter.

Social Distancing

I went to get the Chinese takeout.  An elderly couple came in after me and waited the appropriate distance away.

Physical Activity

Co and Hubby went cycling

I made around 50 trips between my closet and the guest room

Dinner

Chinese Takeout

[gabbiecustomart]

Merry Pandemic & Happy New Fear!!! 😱🎄🥂💥💥💥 #miprimerapandemia #myfirstpandemic (at Pandemic Party) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJMWFmfATjF/?igshid=10efzw3tzsp83

[rissuh-reckless]

Soooo the past few days have been hard af #momlife days. Despite that, I’ve still been able to accomplish a new living room. #dontsleeponme #myfirstpandemic #17monthsold #ERB #diy https://www.instagram.com/p/B_S_WHKj1aOWkaj_dobiRul-yPqDyMVjjuHJd00/?igshid=1ikvhj9nw4f5e

[theocseason4]

damn I should’ve kept that baby so that i could participate in the #myfirstpandemic movement

[elvenvishnu]

Water Hammer?

I live in a 3-bedroom apartment in a small complex, built in the 1960s. The landlord has very little interest in maintaining or repairing it. My roommate and I bought a Glacier Bay kitchen faucet that we had professionally installed. After a year or so, it developed a loud knocking sound when using the hot water, often shutting off entirely if we try to draw too much hot water.

I've read that it might be air in the pipes, which seems doubtful to me, since the noise is only in the kitchen plumbing. Or it might be a bad cartridge in the faucet that can be replaced.

How do I determine which it is?

submitted by /u/myfirstpandemic [link] [comments] from Plumbing help offered here, please post pictures. https://ift.tt/i3bGJ9d

[bsasahoraok]

Padres retratan en redes sociales la primera cuarentena de sus bebés #Coronavirus ##BabyFirstPandemic En el apogeo de la pandemia de coronavirus, padres de todo el mundo se unieron a las hashtags #MyFirstPandemic o #BabyFirstPandemic, donde muestran en Instagram cómo sus bebés pasan esta cuarentena.

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 38 - Anatomy of a Pandemic

This is my personal perspective of how things played out and how I was affected and felt as things unfolded.  It may be boring to read, but I wanted to note key dates and events for my future reference. (The year is 2020.)

Up till Jan 22 - Numerous cases of a new coronavirus have spread in China and have already begun spreading outside of China’s borders to nearby countries

Jan 23 - Lockdown in Wuhan, followed by Hubei Province in the next few days

Jan 25 - Chinese New Year - means millions of Chinese travelling

Jan 31 - 50th Birthday party with 60+ people (people flying in from London and US) - Not thrilled about having to attend.

Beg Feb - Most of China locked down

Feb 21 - Outbreak of coronavirus emerges in Northern Italy (neighboring Switzerland) with a lockdown order issued for the affected areas the day after

Feb 24 - Start of 2 week ski holiday which we plan to spend in Laax.  Sometime during the holiday, I become more afraid of the Italian tourists than the Chinese tourists.

Feb 25 - Have coffee with a friend.  She just spent a night in Como, Italy.  And first case of coronavirus identified in Switzerland.

Feb 27 - 60th Birthday party of family with 60+ people - very close contact with many people and Hubby sat next to a man who just returned from Italy for 3 hours.  We were NOT happy.  

Feb 28 - Swiss government bans events with more than 1000 people.  Good news for us because Hubby was supposed to go to the Geneva Car Show the following week

Feb 29 - We have some visitors from the Swiss French part.  Thankfully they drove a private car because I would have uninvited them if they were coming by public transportation.

Feb 29 - We cancel our annual party with 5 families plus kids scheduled for March 3

March 3 - Our last social event.  Dinner with another family of 3.

March 5 - Head down the mountain to go home.

March 9 - We are not very happy about allowing Co to go back to school.  The whole family stops other activities this week: gym, kickboxing, etc... We asked the school to let Co skip gym and swimming and it was taken very well.

March 10 - All of Italy under lockdown

March 11 - WHO declares the outbreak to be a pandemic.  A few weeks too late in my opinion.

March 13 - Swiss government says schools will be closed until April 19.  We had already decided at breakfast time that we would keep Co home next week no matter what.

March 16 - Swiss government orders closure of bars, restaurants, sports facilities and cultural spaces.  Ban on gatherings of more than 5 people. School closures extended until April 26.

April 16 - Swiss government announces relaxation measures starting April 27 and schools will most likely reopen on May 11.

Just in closing, I consider the World Health Organization to have dropped the ball on this pandemic.  They should have acted sooner to protect the world’s population.  I said to Hubby already in February that all air travel should be halted worldwide for 2 weeks to contain the spread. That’s what I would do if I were in charge.  (Move over, Tedros!)  I truly believe this could have averted the need for each and every country to lockdown and would have been a far lesser economic cost than what is playing out today.

Social Distancing

Co and I saw some people while biking and in the little supermarket afterwards where we usually treat ourselves to a little something sweet after doing some sport.  Hubby met up with 2 friends for an epic e-Mountain Bike tour.

Food Supply

My lovely friend dropped off some frozen Siu Mai for me from her Cantonese dim sum supplier

Physical Activity

5 min arms - Boho Beautiful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Mq_c-dgVY

10 minutes with Fitness Marshall on Youtube - Senorita and Me Too

Hubby - 4+ hour bike tour

Co and I - 8 km leisurely e-bike ride to the river

Dinner

FRESH: Filet of pork, potatoes au gratin, zucchini

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 37 - Eyes on the Prize

Today was the official announcement for the easing of the lockdown here in Switzerland.  I consider this really good news and I think it makes sense.  Back in late March, at our peak, we had 1200 new corona cases per day.  This past week, that number has nosedived (nosedove?) to around 300 per day.  And that is thanks to the Swiss population adhering to the lockdown guidelines.

When things were really at their worst, my fear was that so many people would get sick and the hospitals would be overwhelmed so that getting treated for COVID-19 would be near impossible, leading to unnecessary deaths.  That scenario has luckily not played out here.  In fact, one night, the local news reported on hospitals being eerily empty because those needing treatment for other ailments were avoiding going!  So, I have to give kudos to the Swiss government on the measures that were put in place.

I was convinced that I and/or my friends and family would come down with the virus which is part of the reason I started this blog to trace my contacts via my “Social Distancing” entries.

Now, I am being lulled into a sense of security and am itching to have gatherings of more than 5 people and playdates for Co.  School looks likely to start again on May 11 with our 2 week school Spring Break immediately preceding that.  My resolve is slowly slipping but I know that the disease is still very infectious and it could still be very nasty.  Hubby and I could very well have underlying health problems that we are just not aware of.

The other announcement was that hairdressers are able to open on April 27 (with the necessary hygiene measures).  I know someone who desperately needs a haircut.  He does a head-flick every 3 seconds to get the hair out of his eyes.

Health Status

Everyone healthy

Social Distancing

Quite a few people shopping at 6 PM today at the supermarket.  I was surprised to see this, and disappointed that I was the only one in a mask.  Actually, I was incognito today - mask, sunglasses, baseball cap and a fellow mom didn’t even recognize me.  After coming home and unpacking groceries, I went straight to take a shower, as recommended to me by my best friend who is a doctor in the US.

Food Supply

Could’ve still made a number of meals with what’s in the fridge and freezer, but we were down to the last liter of milk so I had to make a trip to the store.  Re-stocked on meat, veg, fruits, milk, eggs, yogurt, butter, flour, rice, and Instant Coffee to make Dalgona Coffee!

Physical Activity

20 min Boho Beauty Pilates (super tough) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt2FyFYRmes

Dinner

Chinese takeout to support the lovely folks at Coriander Leaf, Wädenswil.

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 17 - End of Week 2

If you’re just joining me, the day count represents the days since the WHO announced that COVID-19 was officially a pandemic.  This was actually a bit late in the game, if you ask me.  And our official start of Home School was on Day 6 or March 16.  So today marks the end of Week 2 of Homeschooling - and cutting off all contact with others.

I don’t want to complain about the situation, but I will say it’s been a struggle to get Co motivated to do his work and meanwhile, tempers are a bit shorter than normal.  So, we sat down together to re-work the schedule so I hope it will work better going forward.  It still allows 3+ hours of screen-time, but I think in these circumstances, it’s the only thing that will keep us both sane and still loving each other.

Social Distancing

NOBODY - stayed in house all day.

Health Status

Family here: ok

Family in NJ: ok

Friends:  friend’s husband was diagnosed after displaying mild symptoms.  She is getting tested too, but assumed to have it.  She thinks they are not the first family in my town, but that people are not open about sharing this.  I wonder if people would react badly, I would like to think being open about it is better to help stop the spread.

Physical Activity

20 min ping pong with Co

5 min arms - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlex28M-_Tk&t=2s

15 min abs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laxxGDWRteU

Food Supply

Still ok, but planning a trip to the supermarket in a couple days

Dinner:  FRESH: spare ribs, mini bok-choy, and rice

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 9 - Profiteroles

Part of the schoolwork sent home included an activity to independently cook something.  I had choux pastry on my “to try” list for a long time, so I asked my son if he wanted to do it and he said “sure” and it turned out pretty well (see photo).  I e-mailed the teacher to see if she could assign this task every week!  

Social Distancing

Hubby and Co saw some people while mountain biking including a classmate of Co’s who was playing soccer with some other kids.  I stayed in all day.

Health Status

Family in NJ - SIL on Day 4 of antibiotics for a cold

Other - we received a letter from Laax (where our vacation apartment is) stating that there is a couple in our complex - the husband died of corona, and the wife is in bad shape.  We don’t know them personally but we share the same underground garage.  Scary, because we were there for 2 weeks, up until March 5.

Food Supply

We are out of fresh meat, so I am de-frosting roast duck from my freezer for tomorrow night.  I am reluctant to already use up my frozen stuff, so looks like I have to go to the supermarket tomorrow.

Mental Status

I am feeling relieved that the first week of “no school” is almost over.  We are still in good spirits and getting along.  I am trying to make sure it stays that way!

Physical Activity

40 min ping pong with Co in the morning

2 hrs e-mountain biking (Hubby and Co)

60 min youtube Pilates workout with warm-up and cool-down, loved it!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4thujUsx9pI  fitnessblender.com

Hubby power sprayed the roof

Dinner

FRESH:  Leftovers               FROZEN: Beyond Burgers

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 8 - Contact!

For the first time, we actually took a walk during the “Morning Walk” slot on the schedule.  And it was brilliant.  The hilly terrain really got my heart pumping and we even saw a classmate of Co’s outside his house kicking the soccer ball around.  This was followed by some academic and creative time with no complaining.  What also lifted Co’s spirits today was a video call with his other buddy to talk at great length about Pokemon cards.  

Hubby invested in an air purifier/humidifier.  Seems Galaxus is still delivering.  It’s so big and standing in the middle of the living room.  I’m calling him Bob.

Social Distancing

Hubby and I had an appointment with the Notary Public and the gardener (our friend’s son) came to work outside and joined us for lunch.

Health Status

Family here: ok

Family in NJ: on the mend

Friends:  2 acquaintances tested positive

Mental Status

Positive.  Amazing what effect a morning walk has on the rest of the day.

Physical Activity

40 min walk (3.18 km on hilly terrain)

youtube workout with Fitness Marshall (25 min) - this guy can DANCE and has the funniest facial expressions!

40 min ping pong with Co in the afternoon

Dinner

FRESH:  Spare Ribs, Cucumbers, Rice

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 7 - Sad Reality

Today we received the folder from school with the work that needs to be completed and put back in our mailbox by Friday lunchtime. There was also a candy but that got eaten before I could snap the picture (see below).  As Co sat down to work, I think it really hit him that no school also means no friends.  Poor little guy.  He was quite sad.

Social Distancing

Hubby went to the office because the cable guy was turning up to work on something with the Internet.  I think between him and his one officemate, they were pretty safe.  Co and I stayed home all day but spent quite some time lounging on the terrace in the sun.

Health Status

Family here: ok

Family in NJ: SIL on antibiotics and the 3 other recovering from colds.  Grandma ok.

Friends:  2 acquaintances tested positive

Mental Status

Co is suffering.  Hope we can Facetime with a school buddy tomorrow.  I almost caved and let him have a playdate, but Hubby is adamant about this.  No playdates.

Physical Activity

Just a bit of ping pong and kicking the soccer ball around with Co in the morning for some fresh air.  Not enough.  Will need to do more tomorrow.

Dinner

FRESH:  Rösti with fried eggs and smoked salmon (a family favorite, minus the salmon for me)

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 6 - Homeschool and Shutdown

Suspecting more stringent measures today, I caved in and went grocery shopping.  We were low on fresh fruit and veggies.  I also was really curious to see the state of the supermarket after I heard how empty the shelves were on Friday night and Saturday.  (Stores usually closed on Sundays).  The government kept us waiting with their press conference, saying it would be "not before 3 PM".  Well, it would've helped if they just said "5 PM" which is when it finally happened.  I would call it the "Shutdown".  Restaurants, bars, clubs, museums, gyms, parks to be closed.  Pharmacies, supermarkets, banks, post office, and kiosks can remain open.  These measures are in effect starting midnight tonight until April 19.  Which means the school closure was also extended by 2 weeks.

Started with the Homeschool today with some tweaks to this schedule I saw online.

Social Distancing

Saw about 15-20 people in the supermarket.  There was one man in his 30's with FFP mask, gloves, and safety glasses who looked very paranoid whenever I approached him.  I didn't do this on purpose, I swear!  But he was the only one.  We bumped into one of Co's lunch ladies and Hubby said she came too close for comfort.

Health Status

Family here: ok

Family in NJ: Bro has a cold, SIL needs antibiotics for her cold, twins recovering.  Grandma went to a friend's to play mahjong against my explicit instructions.

Friends:  my dear friend's sister and brother-in-law are down with Corona with unpleasant symptoms in Thalwil.  I feel very bad for them because they are under the weather and have two very young children at home to look after.

Physical Activity

Just a bit of ping pong with Co in the morning for some fresh air

Food Supply

Re-stocked with fresh fruit and veggies and more meat and yogurt.

Town Supermarket out of: bananas, ginger, garlic, and chicken breast

Dinner:  FRESH: Chicken meatballs, tomato sauce and spaghetti

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 70 - Is this thing over?

In case you’re not sure what my days are counting - Day 1 was March 11, 2020 when the WHO declared this new coronavirus a “Pandemic”.  But this was before they went through various alarm and threat levels, so my “Day 70″ label is a bit misleading.  We have been living with cases/outbreaks of COVID-19 since late 2019 (hence the 19 in the name.)

Swiss kids have been back in school for over a week, gyms, restaurants and stores are open, but we still have social distancing guidelines in place.  No private or public gatherings of more than 5 people, and people are still recommended to work from home if possible.  However, it really feels like things are returning back to normal.  It’s rare to see someone wearing a mask, people are taking public transportation, and the stores are pretty full with people.  For me, things are not quite normal yet as I am still avoiding: 

Going back to the gym

Going shopping for something besides food and leisurely browsing

Letting Co have lunch at school

Hugging someone outside my immediate family

Dinner Party with friends

Book Club in person

Taking public transportation (kind of non-issue since I drive everywhere)

My first step back to “normal” will be meeting up with a friend for coffee next week and when i find some time to back on the golf course, although I have already been to the range twice since it opened again.  I’m still waiting to see if the number of cases rise in the next week, but so far so good.  Things seem to be mostly under control.

Also, at this point, it seems there is no more need to keep a detailed history of social contacts, health status, or my food supply.  Back on Day 1, I thought people all around me would be getting sick, and we could be exposed.  I thought supermarkets might close and there would be a food shortage.  I also had no idea how long lockdown would be, which is all part of what motivated me to start the blog.

So this, will probably be the last entry for a long time, or possibly ever.  I’ll leave you with an image of the beautiful Juliana from Boho Beautiful who kept me in shape during the lockdown.