EXCEPT for less than 10 trips to the drugstore and supermarket and one visit to a crematorium after my best friend died, I have not been out of the house since March 12. I would love to eat at Din Tai Fung but I’m too scared. I am amazed that people are having brunch with friends, at the beach, visiting family, doing sleepovers, shopping, having their hair done at salons and getting facials and face treatments. I’m not judging anyone. I’m glad they’re not wracked by fear like I am. I’m glad that at least the economy is moving slowly but surely. I can help the economy by buying stuff online.
I am still afraid because one of my colleagues tested positive and she only went out of her house once. That time, she was even wearing a PPE. Many people I know have contracted Covid-19. One is a friend who probably got it from her boyfriend who died. Another colleague doesn’t know where she got it but she is better now.
A person I follow on Instagram got Covid-19 from a family member. From this person, I realized that the virus is indeed airborne. She and the family member didn’t even hug. They just sat across a table from each other for around 30 minutes.
So while I’m not judging anyone for going out for work and/or pleasure, I’m still afraid. I live with my mom who is 81 years old and I don’t want to put her life at risk. Unlike most people, I have no problem with staying home. I love being home with my family. But like most people, I am anxious about many things like money, bills, job security, health concerns, among others.
In the beginning of quarantine, my sleep patterns got whacked. I would fall asleep at around 6 pm and wake up at 10 pm. I’d stay awake until 3 am and fall asleep only when I was exhausted mentally.
Unlike other people, I didn’t pick up a new hobby or interest in quarantine. I just worked and still enjoyed K-pop. I didn’t even binge-watch Korean dramas. I was too anxious for that.
Anyway, as time went on I became less anxious. I have learned to take things day by day and not stress over things I cannot change. Don’t get me wrong. I am still worried about so many things. That’s just the way I am. In the last two weeks, I’ve been watching some Korean dramas, one of which is Hospital Playlist. If you’re into Korean dramas, you need to watch this show which is centered around five doctors who have been friends since medical school. I’m not really into love stories. I enjoy medical, police and family dramas more and I love those that are unfolding.
Another one that I’m watching for pure escapism is The School Nurse Files on Netflix. It stars Jung Yu-mi as a school nurse with powers to see what the average human can’t. The series opens a month after she starts in a school where mysterious things happen. She tries to solve these cases with the help of a teacher (Nam Joo-hyuk), who is the grandson of the school’s founder. I like it because it’s very different.
I also watched the Korean movie Alive starring Park Shin-hye and Yoo Ah-in. This being a zombie movie, comparisons to Train to Busan are inevitable. I only watched TTB’s first movie, not the second, so I could only compare Alive to the Gong Yoo-starrer.
Alive and Train to Busan are very different from each other. The former is, to me, more oriented toward millennials and Gen Z while the latter is more of an action-packed movie with some drama. If you want to be entertained, watch Train to Busan. I liked Alive but I was seriously quite depressed after watching it. Disclaimer: I’m not much of a movie reviewer. I’m more of an average person who likes watching movies.
Now for some good news: Booksale, the secondhand bookstore loved by many Filipinos, is now on Shopee (www.shopee.ph/booksale.ph). Booksale was where I got so many of my books when my daughter was still in school and I couldn’t afford brand-new ones. Many of the books on Shopee are now out of stock, so I guess that is good news for them.
Anyway, I hope everyone is taking care of themselves by wearing masks and face shields when they’re outdoors and washing and/or disinfecting their hands.