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.