Livin' La Vida Lockdown Day 105: when a bit of normal came to town.
Today was a big day in the lockdown journey. Today was the day all the barricade tape came down in the building.
We have not moved freely in our condo building since March 18, 2020. Three weeks ago I was still wearing a mask just to take the garbage down the hall. Today was the day things became slightly normal - today was the day everything opened up in the building again.
To give you some perspective on how big a deal today was - consider that I have not been outdoors without a mask on since early February.
Most recall we wore them to dinner on Valentine’s Day. It defies logic that this was to become most of my 2020. I haven't sat in the sun or near something green since March 18 or even earlier as I was moving house for us. Coming from living in Ubud with a pool and a garden to this city last year was hard enough and then add a pandemic, a lockdown, the coronacoaster and major life challenges to the mix and it has been like losing your entire reality and identity in one go. Gone. I would wake up some days and wonder if it was all just a groundhog day style dream that just had recurring nightmarish components.
So today was the beginning of getting back to a semblance of my old self again (whoever she is these days). I ate a mango for breakfast, drank an espresso and packed my little orange flowery bag with coconut oil, water and a sarong. I walked into the lush garden that I have not been able to use in all this time and sat under a big leafed tropical tree with berries hanging off it, by a sparkling pool and just stared out at the view.
Which all sounds perfectly normal. But nothing is normal or has been for a long time. In fact it all felt very, very not normal. I was outdoors and no one wore a mask including me - I had to sign in and get a wrist band and get temp checked...but kids were laughing and playing and the sun was out. I truly didn't care about anything at all for the first time in months and months. There was a yellow sun lounge with my name on it. I had almost forgotten what being in the sun even felt like.
It was just as strange being in the water after so long - to feel weightless again. To turn my face up to the sky squinting and to be in a salt water infinity pool over looking Penang. But all the while thinking - "wow - I can breathe again. That's the wind on my face. This is pretty damn weird."
I put my feet on some grass...I wriggled my toes - also normal - yet I can not remember when I last felt grass - probably in Thailand while we were in Krabi in January. Before my life changed completely overnight. Yes that really feels like a life time ago now.
So after all this time - I finally got to use all the swanky facilities I have been paying for since that fateful day I moved in. For 3 and a half months they sat empty and inaccessible behind barricade tape and security guards. In that time the world has changed irrevocably. It is truly surreal when you think about it. The red and white remnants of tape remain fluttering in the sultry breeze just to quietly remind us of what has happened and that it could go up again at anytime.
In a parallel reality today I also watched from afar as I saw Victoria stop international flights and lock down entire suburbs. I then started seeing the chaos that is now ensuing for those booked to head home from Malaysia this week. Malaysian Airlines announced some flights recently - an alternative to the petri dish of Qatar (don't believe me? look at what flights most infections come on) and the 'am I going to get stranded in HK for a week or more' option of Cathay. People just started getting excited to head home. Fast forward to today most flights are still not confirmed by the High Commission or the airline - even now on the day of departure (which to me is never a good sign). Flights are being cancelled last minute or rerouted now that Melbourne is closed - Queensland has begun charging for quarantine - people are currently in KL stressed to the hilt but hopeful. I clearly am not in KL.
I hedged my bets and for once just sat back. In a moment of self awareness and maybe a need to just normalise a bit - last week I chose to pause and watch. To let myself ease into things a bit. Before I went ahead with handing any money to a notoriously 'cancellation with no refunds' prone airline. Vouchers are now useless as Australian's will be locked in until mid 2021. (Don't even get me started on that topic... I have yet to process that fact). Something in me said next week is not the week to travel. So far I was right. Let's see how that all pans out.
Peace
