Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Turn and face the strange. 

I realised upon publishing my last post how much has changed since I last wrote on here. At the beginning of the lockdown I was making plans for all the things I could do with the extra time - no more commuting, fewer classes, no evening plans... but somehow several months disappeared into a thin air. 

A lot has changed since my last post. A whole 7 months passed.  I had a housemate move in (and out), found a hamster (then a home for said hamster), and switched from binge watching Friends to The Sopranos.  I taught online, then in person for a grand total of 7 days, then online again for 3.  

I have two less dogs (one with a happy ending, the other unfortunately not), got significantly larger, then a little slimmer (the quarantine 15 struggle is real), and actually managed to travel out of Beijing for a little over a week. 

Some things, however, didn’t change. I didn’t become a yoga goddess, learn to make vegan cheese, nor make any progress on my “to read/watch later” lists (if anything, the slow internet made me add more to them)!

In all honestly, online learning took a lot more out of me than I expected. 

So I may not have achieved everything I hoped to on my list, but that’s ok.  I survived.  I finished a book. I learnt how to use Zoom, Seesaw and a whole host of online learning platforms.  And the bathroom got re-grouted.  And that for me is enough.

As of November 3rd:
1,804 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
550 unread emails.
6 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
2 dogs.

153 episodes of Friends left to watch.

No more tins of beans.

New Month, New Post, Who dis?

I’ve written, and rewritten the beginning of this blog post several times over the past few months. Not wanting to wait until the new year to make a resolution, I’ve tried several times to make each new month a chance to get back on the blogging wagon. Online teaching made doing anything on my laptop after school almost impossible - after a day of staring at a screen for Zoom classes, emails and marking, I just wanted to lie down in a darkened room and heal my poor retinas.

This month feels different though. I’ve been following NaNaWriMo (National November Writing Month) for a while now, and whilst I’m not going to write out a full novel of my life, it’s been motivating to receive their emails, and a new job means I'm not quite as burnt out after school. (Shout out to Jess and Sarah for their encouragement too)!

It's unlikely that many people will read this, but I find journaling therapeutic, and I imagine it’ll be something interesting to look back on in a few years as often I can't even remember what I did yesterday (hello, 30). Plus, as a teacher I'm constantly reminding students of the importance of writing to become a better writer, so I guess it's time to start practicing what I teach. Maybe I'll start remembering to bring a pen to class meetings too, but I'm not promising anything (isn't that what Evernote was designed for anyway?).

It is, however, hard to write when you're in an exhausted food coma.

I mean, just look at this absolute monstrosity of a meal.

After Church today we went to a Japanese restaurant in Wudaokou for what my friend described as "the best katsu curry in Beijing." It did not disappoint, and the veggie option for once seemed to be the unhealthiest option on the menu. Big win. Deep fried mashed potato with yellow rice and delicious, thick curry, without a hint of anything green in sight. I'm not sure the picture does it justice in showing how big the fried potato balls actually were and the rice that went on for days.

And it was good.

So, so good.

And true, I didn't have to finish it, but we're also teaching students about food waste at the moment. Seems this modelling what I teach is going to have serious consequences for my waist. At least as a millennial I could have the stereotypical, mini avocado toast for dinner as there was certainly no room for anything else.

More carbs was just what I needed anyway.

Until next time,

EJ x

Lockdown!

This afternoon, I watched as the UK woke up to what we’ve effectively been experiencing for the last 9 weeks. Working from home, everything closed but supermarkets and pharmacies, no visitors... but hey, it’s not all doom and gloom. Yes, you may find yourself furiously sweeping behind the fridge at 3am because you can’t sleep, and some days you may lie in bed wondering what is the point in getting up (we've all been there), but hopefully these few points will help you see the silver linings.

You will be glowing
Not touching your face, not wearing any make up, limited time outside in the pollution and under the sun, and less late nights in questionable bars means your skin will look the best it has in years. Use the extra time to do a weekly face-mask for extra pizzazz! And teacher friends, drink as much water as you like - you can use the bathroom whenever you want now. Win-win.

You'll be able to ace any future Master Chef challenge
No pre-made pasta sauce left at the supermarket? No problem! You guys have unrestricted internet access abroad, simply type in whatever you find left in your cupboards followed by “recipe” in to Google or Pinterest. Ritz cracker appetisers made with peanut butter, raw onion and ketchup? You’re welcome.

You will be more sociable in isolation
Got a friend you haven’t spoken to in months as you’ve both been to busy? Now is the time to give them a call. You can ring almost anyone and guarantee they’ll be in, and you'll have something new in common. They may be busy climbing the walls, but hey, your voice might be a nice distraction.

You can give Beyonce a run for her money

If you live by yourself, or you can work out comfortably without scarring your housemates or family for life, then you need to get some YouTube dance workout videos going on. The club better be ready for this jelly.

You will redefine your priorities

I used to think I didn't keep an overly clean and tidy house because I didn't have enough time. No I realise I just don't like it. And living with four dogs, I've learnt to pick my battles carefully.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, you just might have to squint a little to see it.  We'll get there folks.

As of March 24th:
1,418 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
400 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
4 dogs and a hamster.

198 episodes of Friends left to watch.

Happy Mother’s Day, Teacher?

Yesterday was Mother’s Day in the UK, and whilst I didn’t get to see my Mum in person, I was able to video call her with my bro, and revel in the fact that I’m such a bloody good organiser - leaving my Mum’s Mother’s Day present and card with Dad when I was home at Christmas.

I’d sent an email in the evening to the parents, thanking all the Mums, Grandmas and Aunties for their support along with the weekly guided reading timetable. I’d got a couple of thank-yous back, which is always appreciated, but today, when I opened my school email, I also got a “Happy Mother’s Day Miss Emma. We love you,” kind of email.

I’ve tried to be pretty chill about the whole online teaching thing - I actually quite enjoy video calls in my slippers and marking with Mao on my lap (and the mute feature on Zoom is a lifesaver!), but that email just broke me. I sobbed. Someone really should invent some kind of emotional-content-filter system on computers for women on special days, and especially at certain times of the month. I’m already fearful to go on Youtube in case I’m recommended a sad dog rescue video. I might not get out of bed for the next few days.

With 10 new cases yesterday, it’s probably going to be at least another 28 days until we go back to school, and I somehow don’t think the new cases are about to drop to zero from today. I often wonder whether I’ll be able to see my students before the end of the school year...  I sure hope so!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums, especially mine, and always remembering my Gran x

As of March 23rd:
1,420 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist (avoiding it like the virus)
405 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
4 dogs and a hamster.

198 episodes of Friends left to watch.

To school or not to school...

24th February, 2nd March, 16th March... every time I get an email from HR I anticipate another delay. Some teachers were hopeful and thinking we would be back to school now, but as we end up the sixth week of online teaching, I do start to wonder if we'll be back at all before the end of the year.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me. When Hong Kong announced back at the beginning of February that they wouldn't be going back to school until at least mid-March, and then 20th April, I guessed we'd be going back much later than that. After all, they've had much fewer cases than in the mainland.

Then on Tuesday, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, announced that schools will not be able to reopen on 20th April, as previously planned. With 7 million people, Hong Kong still has fewer than 170 cases and four deaths, and 38 people still in treatment. Whilst some other provinces in China are hoping to go back soon, in Beijing we currently have a total of 479 cases, with 8 deaths and 92 people still in treatment. Let's face facts, with a population of 21.5 million people, and the number of imported cases now increasing, we're not going anywhere.

I might invest in a decent office chair. I've heard Ikea is quite quiet as of late. Probably because no one can go for a cheeky nap or game of cards in one of their showrooms anymore.

Crime scene or a new shopping experience?

Make yourself comfortable doggos, I'm going to be here a while.

Vet Visits and Veggiefied Noodles

It appears the UK is so busy with storms and flooding that today we got their usually crappy weather.  It seemed to be continuously raining without actual drops falling from the sky, like walking through an endless soggy cloud.
   

The community police-folk had kindly woken the doggos at 8am (on a Saturday!) to check my housemate's registration papers again, and unable to get back to sleep I indulged in a bit more Friend's watching and losing time on Pinterest. Originally looking for Chinese breakfast ideas (who knew I might actually miss school food), the morning magically disappeared and it was soon time to start thinking about lunch. Sticking with the Chinese theme, I recreated a version of the Omnivores DanDan Noodles, sans porc of course. I also tried to create my own chili oil. In the past, I'm sure Drew and I just threw chili flakes in to a jar of oil and hoped for the best - what amateurs! It was fun to do, my only wish was that I owned a funnel.
  

 Use all the spices!

Still, I'm thankful to finally have hot water in the kitchen which made cleaning up the aftermath that little bit easier. The first two years I was told by the letting agent that a hot-water tap in the kitchen is "non-essential," and used to have to wash up in cold water or by boiling the kettle. No wonder people are getting sick, smh.

In the afternoon, I left the house! I was able to take Bao to the vets, and if I'm being perfectly honest I was dreading it. Given how much my previous elderly foster dog had gone through; months of medications, blood-tests and a blood transfusion, eventually ending in an emotional euthanisation (and an exceedingly large vet bill), I wasn't sure what to expect. She'd had a blood test about a month ago, and found that certain levels were high, possibly due to liver or gallbladder issues - a result of living off a diet of rubbish (trash for my American friends) for a fair amount of her life. She'd previously been put on a kind of doggy-multivitamins, that seemed to be working well and given her a bit more energy. Thankfully, I was able to pop to the eerily empty shopping mall over the road whilst she had her blood tests done, and came back to find that whilst some levels were still off, the vet remained hopeful. Given her age, her condition, and the fact that she currently has a healthy appetite, he was reluctant to put her on any further medication in case it upset her stomach.
  

En route to the vets!

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to do anything about her snoring though, as medically it's not a problem, nor a sign of anything more serious.

It's just... so... loud!

Still, I'm just thankful she's doing ok. Next step will be to try and find her a permanent home for when I leave China. Let me know if you know anyone looking for an elderly snorasaurus...

As of Feb 29th:
1,400 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist (damn you recommended homepage!)
495 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
3 dogs and a hamster.

1 jar of chili oil.

198 episodes of Friends left to watch.

Lumpy Breasts and More Tests

The fun thing about writing your own blog, in addition to amusing the world with your witty discourse and poorly taken photos, is that you can also see how many visitors have come to your site, and from where. Thankfully having such an obscure blog name means your friends can also type "Heffalumps and Happy Times" in to Google from most places in the world and it usually pops up as the first entry - no fancy SEO techniques needed!

The downside of this, is that anyone can read your blog, and you can also see what keywords people have searched for. The charity haircut was quite popular, as well as searches for Korean toilets, however one of my blog's most popular posts was found through key words such as: flashing breasts, boobs, and open window. Ah, my first day at university in Martinique. The searchers must have been sorely disappointed.

So, given the popularity of breasts on this blog, and also the amount of comfort I received from reading other women's blogs and comments on the subject, I felt it would be cathartic to write about my own experience of a surgical biopsy in China, and to also act as a reminder to myself that I have an adverse reaction to both steri-strips and a certain kind of antibiotics. I might even get a few more page views from creepy people for good measure.

1. The Discovery
Lumps are never a good thing for a woman to find in the chest area, except for the occasional time an errant chocolate chip is inadvertently caught between bra and breast following a Netflix binge (or so I've heard from a friend...). Mine had popped up a few years ago, and after being practically frog marched to the hospital by Andrew and a friend visiting at the time, and several scans and pokes later, I was told it was all benign and I just need to have it checked every 6 months. Which, thanks to health insurance and several reminders, I did.

I therefore expected this last hospital visit to be much of the same: cold, sticky gel, blurry ultrasounds and free polo mints before you're sent home with a "see you in 6 months". Which was fine, until the sonographer and doctor started discussing their findings.
"Yes, quite large. Actually there's two, possibly more."
"Possibly surgery...".
"Um... hello? I can understand Mandarin!"
As my poor baby boy had previously had on operation on his back to have two tumors removed, my Chinese vocabulary in this area was pretty specialised. And whilst I was a tiny bit proud of my comprehension skills, I didn't like what I was hearing.

Now the doctors in China are not particularly known for their bedside manner, and although the doctor I had was fairly gentle, the news was still delivered rather bluntly. He explained (in English) that several lumps had grown rather quickly over the last 12 months, and given my family history with the big C, he wanted to cut them out and test. "Just to be on the safe side, as it's very likely you'll get cancer during your lifetime". It's always lovely to receive such encouraging words. "Could [I] come in after Spring Festival next week?" The surgeon was only having a few days off for Chinese New Year, but as my brother was due to arrive in a few days, I managed to book an appointment after his flight home. Blood tests were drawn, surgical knives were sterilised (hopefully), and several forms signed. It's times like this that I'm thankful for my faith, an excellent insurance plan and a sympathetic mother.

"Oh Ems, it'll be reet."

Reet, indeed.

And in case you needed a reminder, check your boobs. This story ends well, but as Dr B. said, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Temperature Checks and Toilet Rolls

Today I treated myself with a trip to the supermarket. Last week I'd taken stock of what I had in the apartment, and had been slowly emptying the fridge-freezer of any fresh/frozen produce. At last, I was finally down to the last sad looking sweet potato and had to venture out beyond the community gates. It was time. Sorry neighbours.

The community had sealed off the usual route I take, closing 2 of the compound's gates so we could only and enter through the one checkpoint. The rudimental barriers and security guards added to the low-security prison feel, and I felt the need to justify myself to the guy on duty as I left through the North gate. He merely grunted, as if scurvy should be the least of my worries when there's a deadly disease out there.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I made the way to the supermarket. The shops along the front of the building were closed, except one hot pot place offering takeout. You know China is in big trouble when even the hot pot restaurants are quiet. The supermarket had reduced their opening times to allow for extra thorough cleaning (always a bonus), and my friend Katie had already posted pictures of her local store, so I was hopeful there wouldn't be any shortages and a limited chance of catching anything. I passed the temperature check and entered an eerily quiet supermarket.

Oh it was glorious! They had everything and then some. As I was still slightly recovering, I didn't want to go too crazy and have to carry everything back, especially as using the other gate added a little extra to my walk. However, given how long it had been since the fresh fruit and veg market had come to our community, and the fact that I had barely spent anything in the last week, I was more than ready to 'splash the cash'. Especially as there was hardly anyone else there. I felt better about buying my fruit and veg when there wasn't an old lady pawing her way through them all to find the freshest ones or some guy picking his nose next to them.

I also bought flushable toilet roll. I wasn't sure if I was more excited about no longer having to empty a bin of used toilet roll from my bathroom, or the fact that I could read and understand the characters on such an obscure subject. I spent the next few moments playing the crazy-foreigner and grinning about my new find. I mean, this is life changing. Anyone who has ever visited a public bathroom can attest to how stinky those little bins get. I got a few odd looks from customers and staff, and wondered if they thought my happiness in the middle of such a dire situation was caused by the (fake) news that caucasians can't catch the coronavirus. No, I was happy about flushable loo roll. This is what my life has been reduced to now.

11 days to go?

I hobbled back to my apartment and made a smoothie. Fresh never tasted so good.

As of Feb 13th:
1,379 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
505 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
4 cartons of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.

Copious amounts of fruit and veg.

224 episodes of Friends left to watch.

Lie me down in a darkened room...

Yesterday was my first day of online teaching.

I had no idea what to expect, and from the sounds of things neither did anybody else.  Our school is using our usual teaching timetable from 8 - 3.15.  We'd sent all the required materials the night before hand, and students were asked to download Zoom ready for the morning meeting. Thankfully I was able to get up in time, greet everyone on the group video call and then, the influx of questions began...

Student: "What time should we come on Zoom for Maths?"

Me: "You don't need to, please watch the prerecorded video you were sent by email labelled '1. WATCH FIRST', then complete the worksheet labelled '2. COMPLETE SECOND'. *You know, the things your co-teacher and I spent a long time planning and preparing.*

Student: "So what is the Zoom code?"

Me: "There is no Zoom code, you don't need to come on Zoom"

Student B: "It's 7**-***-****"

Student: "Teacher, I can't use the code to log in to Zoom."

Me: "That's because that's the morning meeting code."

Student: "So how do I come to class on Zoom?"

Me: "THERE IS NO ZOOM CLASS. Please check your email, it will have all the materials you need."

Student C: "Where are my emails?"

Me: *Where is my sanity?*

Who is responsible for teaching these kids how to read? Oh wait...

As well as the usual class content, I taught students how to open emails. How to write an email. How to add an attachment. How to add a capital letter when typing. HOW TO USE LOWERCASE LETTERS. Howtoaddaspace. How to add punctuation so all the sentences dont just merge in to one super long sentence without any space for a pause even though we most definitely cover how to avoid run on sentences like this in school.

And breathe.

I might add IT support to my CV.

In the afternoon, my co-teacher and I spent time calling the students to see how they were doing, and if they had any questions or concerns about online learning. Most of them seemed fine, although a few were a little suspicious as to why we were calling. The dogs were clearly unimpressed with their afternoon naps being disturbed, and held a meeting to decide what they will do if I stay home another week.

"I don't see anyone, do you, Mao?"
"It's only been a week, and now she's talking at her computer more than ever."

At 4pm I had to go lie down. I couldn't watch TV, read things on my iPad, or look through Facebook (this is being posted way later than 10th Feb). Anything that involved a screen was a no-go. Tomorrow I must remind myself to take a break. For my eyes and for my sanity. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage two weeks of this... wish me luck!

As of Feb 10th:

1,390 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
495 unread personal emails. 
0 unread school emails (for now). I'm not sure what I will wake up to tomorrow.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).

3 unimpressed dogs and a hamster.

229 episodes of Friends left to watch.

2 burning eyes.

Praising, Praying and Planning

So just over a week of quarantine complete and it's almost time for 'back to school.' I joined in with Church online again, which thankfully got me in the right mood to start the day, and by singing along loudly during worship, I ensured the neighbours kept their distance.

I then couldn't put it off any longer. It was time. Tomorrow will be my first online class and I honestly don't not know what to expect. As our school is a private international school, we'd already had two weeks off at Christmas, so we're due to go back a week earlier than the public schools who don't have time off in December.

I recorded a video over a powerpoint I'd made earlier, made sure everything was uploaded in the order students will need it, and checked everyone knew what time we would have our first 'lesson' tomorrow. We're using Zoom, which I've thankfully got quite used to through Church services and small groups. And most importantly, I made sure that any parents or kids who added my WeChat were unable to see my moments.

We have four homeroom teachers across two classes in Grade 4 (two Chinese, two foreign), and we'd previously decided to divide up the homeroom subjects (English, maths, science and world geography) and plan one subject each for both fourth grade classes. I would have no idea how I would cope if I was doing this by myself! I'm very fortunate to work as part of an amazing team, and despite the fact that everything here is closed, I am so thankful I am in the same country and therefore timezone, as the students. Some of our teachers are still in South Africa (6 hours behind China), and friend's at other schools are even further behind (8 hours) in the UK. I'm not sure I could start at 2am for this!

And then it was done, and I had a cup of tea to celebrate my success. In the Officer Training Corps we learnt, "no battle plan ever survives first contact with the enemy,” and I've always applied the same principal to my teaching career; "no lesson plan ever survives first contact with the students." I guess we'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings...  I'm just hoping the wifi holds out...

Setting my alarm for the first time in three weeks and praying I don't sleep through it.

As of Feb 9th:
1,390 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist (so many added as I tried to remain focused!)
495 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).

3 dogs and a hamster.

229 episodes of Friends left to watch.

Way too much time spent on Pinterest and TPT looking for ideas.

3 alarms set at 5 minute intervals.

A Mother's Concern

As news of the virus becomes more and more sensationalist in the UK, my Mum has started to worry.  My brother and his girlfriend were finally home, albeit a week earlier than expected, but I had already decided to stick it out for the long haul. But what was she so worried about? About me contracting the virus? Going insane from spending too much time inside? A lack of medical supplies and hospital beds perhaps, given the ever increasing numbers? An inability to leave the country should I want to at a later date?

No. My dear mother was concerned I was going to... starve. 

I will certainly be the first to admit that I, like many in my family, have a healthy ferocious appetite. But if there's one thing Big M taught me, it's when something you like, or something you eat often, comes on offer, you stock up. Pasta, rice, dried noodles, cartons of orange juice... if you're going to eat it in the next 6 months and it's going cheap, then it's going in the trolley - in bulk. And as a 99% vegan, the usual lentils, chickpeas, baked beans and tinned tomatoes are not always available in my local supermarket so I usually buy in bulk online. As a result, my cupboards are usually full to bursting. 

So, in order to calm my mother's nerves, put off lesson planning, and also in part to actually see what I needed to eat up over the next four months - I decided to empty the cupboards.   

And that was excluding the fresh/frozen stuff in the two fridge/freezers. 

The panic is over.  I'm blessed to have such a full kitchen.  It's time to get cooking!

As of Feb 8th:
1,380 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
500 unread emails (I need to start hitting the unsubscribe button!)
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
1 carton of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.
2 (thankfully still in date) tins of beans found at the back of the cupboard.

2.5kg of cashew nuts.

More pasta than the local import store.
231 episodes of Friends left to watch.

Grounded, Goals and Growth

Despite a lack of sleep last night, worrying about my babies, considering the potential lack of human interaction for the next two weeks, and some minor issue about a deadly virus working its way all over China..., I woke up full of beans and decided to sort my life out. With only four more days until I was 'back at school' plus a potential two weeks of at home quarantine, I was being given a free pass to transform myself, emerging from my apartment like some beautiful butterfly emerging from her cocoon. Or something poetic like that.

Our first email from school on the 27th Jan had said we were going back to school without the students, and teachers would give online lessons from the classroom. Meetings would be cancelled, and no large gathering of teachers would be permitted. So far, so good. But a few days later, a second email arrived saying we would be now working from home. The workday would still be 7:30-4:30, but with no commute in the freezing cold, no school lunches, and the opportunity to wear my slippers at all times with Mao by my side, meant teaching online sounded good.

I danced. I baked. I sang. I put off lesson planning for another day.

My dogs looked scared and hid in the bedroom.

I contemplated all of the things I could do from home as I knew I was going to be sitting a lot - online workouts on Youtube with tins of beans for weights, yoga (Heaven forbid), pilates... I felt tired just thinking about it. But still, it's the thought that counts right?

I set myself a more realistic goal: I started on season 1, episode 1 of Friends. Many people are always horrified to find I've never properly watched it, and I always seem to miss references, so with 236 episodes over 10 seasons I figured it could keep me busy for a while. Plus, I have everything I need at home to keep me happy over the next few weeks.

As I near the end of my first week in relative isolation, I'm doing ok.

18 days to go...

As of Feb 6th:
1,384 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
490 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
2 avocados.
2 cartons of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.
No more tins of baked beans (eaten in case any more desires to exercise surfaced).
234 episodes of Friends left to watch.

Grey Skies and Cloudy Minds

I couldn't decide whether to post this. Quarantine has had its ups and downs, but yesterday was a deffo down. The first few days had started off well. Lie-ins, baking and Netflix. It was like a perpetual weekend. The sudden lack of obligations, of responsibility, meant I stayed up all night, watching crap on YouTube, snacking, and making the most of not having to wake up early to catch up with friends and family back home.

The days passed in some kind of lazy blur, and then it was Wednesday. Can you still celebrate a humpday when every day is Sunday? My brother and his gf had left a week earlier on one of the last few KLM flights, and I woke up groggy after another night staring at a screen. I rolled over to check the time on my phone, and noted an influx of messages on the various animal rescue Wechat groups. Nothing new there, people were often exchanging tips and posters of various dogs and cats looking for furever homes (see what I did there?). But then I opened one of the shared links and it hit me. I’d heard the rumours of people throwing pets out on the streets, some possibly left with a tiny bowl of food and a sign, and other sick individuals throwing them out of windows out of fear they could transmit the virus. But here it was in full-picture glory, dogs and cats laid on the pavement, blood trickling from their cracked heads. And then the next article...

'Villages Order Culling Of Domestic Pets to Control Virus'.

I felt sick, like the 11 floors beneath me had disintegrated and I was falling fast.

They can’t take my dogs.

Back on Wechat, several frantic pet owners were debating on what that meant for us in Beijing. And suddenly I wanted to go straight home. When Nick and Beth first travelled back, I was happy to stay in the 'Jing, enjoying a bit of time to myself, away from the rat race. But losing my dogs has always been a constant fear for me - from the one dog policy, to the no-dogs-over-35cm rule, to street 'clean ups' before any major political event. I was beside myself. Should I just leave China and take Mao and Alfie with me? Would we even be allowed to leave? What about Bao (the latest foster) and Wilbur (the rescue hamster)? And what would I do when I had to travel back to China?

Everyone was checking in regarding the virus - my school, the community and the letting agent requesting endless forms and temperature checks. But the virus was the least of my worries. The constant reports that the disease had come from an 'animal source' and a misconstrued quote by an infectious disease 'expert' had threatened my furry family. "Pets should be quarantined if they have been in contact with suspected patients infected with the novel coronavirus." I'll quarantine you, Dr Li Lanjuan.

I wanted to feel in control, so I started making plans: I checked documentation, rang the vets and insurance company, checked airline policy and prayed and prayed. The internet could not have chosen a worse day to load every webpage super slowly. Turns out Mao and Alfie's 2016 documentation had expired, and the few airlines that were still flying to and from Beijing didn't take pets. I felt trapped, now not only the threat of the virus was creeping in, but animal control too.

I felt helpless, defeated, and cried way more than I should have done. I rang friends and family back home who tried to put my mind at ease, and by the afternoon the World Health Organisation and the Chinese state network CGTN had started to try and quash the rumours. It wouldn't bring those poor fur babies back, but hopefully it would stop any more suffering a similar fate.

I hugged my furry babies tightly, shared WHO posts on my WeChat, and went to bed. The fact that people out there are willing to kill so quickly scared me more than the virus.

I thought Garfield said Mondays were supposed to suck?

As of Feb 5th:
1,388 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
500 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
4 avocados.
2 and a half cartons of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.
1 tin of baked beans.
No more chocolates.
No more cake.

As Long As You Have Onions

Today I slept, and baked, and contemplated how on Earth I'm going to teach online. I'm thankful for all the people that have reached out and asked me how I'm doing. Many people have asked when I'm coming home, but unfortunately it's not as easy as just hopping on a plane for an unknown period of time. I've spent half of my adult life in China. My whole life* is currently here.


*read: the doggos are currently here.

Whilst many are quick to dismiss China's response to the outbreak, and that's without mentioning the *ahem* cover-up, I have been impressed with China's ability to come together, particularly in supporting the medical staff in Wuhan. Thankfully with only a couple of hundred cases in Beijing, it seems like we're pretty well prepared for a larger outbreak and they seem to be making all the right moves to reduce the spread of the virus.

One of the strange side effects of the quarantine however, and an interesting insight in to communist Chinese culture, is the constant call for people to police each other, serving as reminders to practice good hygiene practices (not a bad thing imho), and encouraging one another not to go out. I have received numerous messages from well-wishing we-chat acquaintances reminding me to regularly wash my hands, wear a mask and use hand sanitiser. Thankfully this was already pretty standard practice since moving to China. Anyone who has ever used a hutong bathroom will tell you hand santiser and a face mask are a must.

I have also received some rather poetic reminders of the need to stay in.

"As long as there's a grain of rice in your apartment - don't go to a crowded place.
As long as you have onions - do not rush to the market.
As long as you have a piece of meat - do not go in the supermarket.
As long as there's breath in your body, stay in your home and defend your position!"

"What is best in this life?
Stability of the Motherland is the best.
Healthy and happy people, settled at home, are the best.
Safe loved ones are the best.
Someone remembering is the best."

All for the good of the Motherland of course. I want to go for another run and stock up on orange juice, but as the community's token white foreigner I don't want to be seen as breaking the status quo and bringing dishonour on the community. It doesn't help that my neighbour opposite has a Chinese New Year decoration on their door that looks rather like a certain dragon from Mulan. I feel like I'm being shamed in to never leaving my apartment.

Mulan Mushu GIF from Mulan GIFs

This evening, however, I was fortunate to have a friend over for dinner and drinks. The guards are thankfully still letting non-residents in to the community as long as they pass the temperature check and it was nice to have a conversation face to face rather than peering in to a phone screen. I also got to try some delicious SA gin, always a bonus! I hope there'll be a few more opportunities to meet up over the next few weeks, but I guess all depends on how strict places get with the virus continuing to spread and how badly I feel judged by my neighbours. Here's hoping they contain it soon. I'll hold off on the orange juice until I need a few more things.

As of Feb 4th:
1,394 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist.
505 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
5 avocados.
3 cartons of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.
1 tin of baked beans.
No more chocolates.
1 cake baked - half already eaten.

Staying In Is The New Going Out

China is currently experiencing the largest quarantine in human history and it seems a lot of people have questions around daily life here in China.  Do you have to stay in all day?  How do you get food?  Can you still walk the dogs?  What happens if you get sick?

Originally, our school was due to resume classes on the 10th February after a three week break for Chinese New Year.  Given that the majority of staff members had either left the country or travelled to different parts of China, we were told to 'self quarantine' for 14 days upon our return to Beijing as mandated by the education bureau - the idea being that it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to show. As Nick and Beth had left China a week earlier than expected, flying early Sat morning, my quarantine technically started 3 days ago.  Our classes will still start on the same day, but like many other schools we will be carrying out lessons online.

I'm thankfully still able to walk the dogs, making sure my hands have a lovely coating of hand sanitiser when both leaving and reentering the building.  It's slightly surreal walking around my community, and I keep having moments when I think I've lost my hearing. Occasionally I might see one brave parent and child outside playing badminton with a mask firmly fixed to their face, or the community cleaner who is wondering what to do with himself now there's no-one outside littering.

In my home community they have closed all the entrances to the community except one, which has guards checking people's temperature coming in and out.  Delivery men, taxis and take away delivery drivers can only bring things to the gate, not enter.  If your temperature is too high they will send over a specialist ambulance to cart you away for testing and possible hospital quarantine.  You also have to wear a mask whilst out in public. Whilst many smaller shops have closed, the larger supermarkets have remained open, although many have modified their opening times for extra cleaning and disinfecting. Today I went to the hospital to have my stitches removed from my finger (note to self: no cooking when tired), and popped in to the supermarket to stock up on the way back.  I was happy to see the fresh fruit and veg was still very well stocked.  I bought all the avocados.

Whilst I understand the theory behind the quarantine, with some 200+ cases in Beijing, I have more and more questions, and very few people seem to have answers.  I had my temperature checked at least three times, and it all was ok.  Am I now back on day 1 or not?  Do I need to spend another 14 days inside incase I picked up something other than avocados today?  

As of Feb 3nd:
1,398 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist. 
510 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
6 avocados.3 and a quarter cartons of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.
1 tin of baked beans. 
1/2 box of chocolates.  No shame.

Since there's no place to go... let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

At 2am it started snowing.  It's already pretty quiet walking the dogs around the community, but the snowfall added an extra stillness to the atmosphere.  Following the mass hysteria of people stocking up on masks, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning products it seemed almost surreal walking around outside with no one around.  A group of snowmen on the grass seemed to be the only ones publicly socialising.  Alfie made sure he barked at them to say hello.

Thankfully this morning I was able to join with some friends from Church in an online meeting for a time of fellowship and prayer.  Given that the government has requested all large groups of people stop meeting in person, this is one of the few ways we can stay connected.  It feels good to not be so alone.

In the afternoon I decided to go for a run.  Only a day and a half of staying in and I'm already climbing the walls. My heart goes out to those at the centre of it all in Wuhan. There were a few people, all in masks, walking along the river path by my community, but everyone kept their distance.  The guard laughed at me when I returned showing all the symptoms of the virus: flushed, looking feverish, experiencing chest pains and difficulty breathing.  He kept laughing and said he should report me to the authorities. Thankfully I was allowed home once he could take a proper temperature reading.  The community was empty when I got in.

The government has already officially extended the Spring festival period until the 2nd February, so tomorrow may look a little different, but many schools will remain closed and those who are able to work from home are encouraged to do so.  So far it's looking like we won't go back until at least the 24th Feb.  

That evening, I ordered some masks from the UK for my parents to try and send to China. Shortages are a big issue here, and a Chinese friend is trying to collect a load to send to Wuhan hospitals and those in great need. The way people are supporting and encouraging each other during this difficult time is inspiring. 

As of Feb 2nd:
1,500 face masks ordered.
1,404 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist. 
515 unread emails.
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
3 and a half cartons of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.
1 and a half tins of baked beans. 
1 box of chocolates found at the back of the cupboard.  Winning.

I

After the stress of trying to get Nick and Beth on an earlier flight, and several hours of delays, I was pleased to hear that they finally made it home!  After staying up half the night expecting to have to go collect them from the airport as another flight got cancelled, I had a pretty productive day 1:

• laundry
• finished binge watching the new season of Grace and Frankie
• headed to the supermarket to stock up on a few fresh items 
• cooked
• caught up on work emails
• rang friends and fam
• cleaned the apartment.

I better take it steady or I'll have nothing to do by the end of the week.

I certainly had a better day than poor Mao, who spent the majority of the day pining for Nick and Beth. Oh my heart.

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The Quarantine Files

Long time no blog. 

After what felt like a long week of wandering around Beijing trying to find places still open to show my younger brother and his girlfriend whilst they visited, and a tense couple of days trying to rebook them on an earlier flight before they got stuck, it's finally become quiet in the 'Jing.

With the city on lockdown, and no requirement to be physically in work until at least the 24th (we will work online though), my descent in to madness has officially begun.  At the encouragement of my best friend, I have decided to use my copious amount of free time to document life during the coronavirus quarantine, finally sort through the thousands of pictures I have taken since arriving in China, and reflect on the past 5 years I have spent living here.  And you lovely peeps get to see/read all about it.

What's more, in a country constantly fixating over the number of confirmed new cases, suspected cases, recoveries and, unfortunately, deaths, I thought I would start some data tracking of my own:

As of Feb 1st:
1,407 unwatched YouTube videos on my 'to watch later' playlist. 
7 unread paper books (+ 1 kindle).
4 cartons of soy milk.
3 dogs and a hamster.
2 tins of baked beans. 
1 less country in Europe, *sob*

Here goes...