QUARANTINE - things they don't tell you and probably should
It has been 142 days and I am officially a ninja-level quarantiner.
Well after months of lockdowns of varying degrees - two weeks quarantine in Sydney has been just another ride and another day on the coronacoaster. A bit like jail, a bit like camp, some hospital vibes but with a nice big bathtub and a king-size bed. Just like most of 2020 this too was nothing like what I had expected it to be or had prepared for. 2020 is all about the curveballs.
What only a few folks know is my plane had positive cases on board (not that we were notified by public health in NSW) I found out quite randomly by checking on the government website myself. And my row was one of 'those rows'. So it has been a bit of an anxious time truth be told. Particularly when we had notified the airline at the departure gate in KL that there were people clearly showing symptoms prior to boarding (I don't know - breathing into a Vicks bottle and coughing could be a bit of a giveaway?). But since they passed the temperature checks they just let them on. The flight into Sydney was one of those cross your fingers times in life. Mandatory masks were ignored by a few people on board including the coughers. People's symptoms slowly got worse by the end of the flight. So my mandatory 2 COVID tests became three in ten days. Thank you Malaysian Airlines I will never fly you again. Ever.
But apart from that small glitch - quarantine was also a glorious opportunity to catch up on some rest, regroup, exhale and chat to all the kind, generous people I know and love that have called each day, messaged, kept me amused and entertained this entire time. To those that offered care packs and so much love every single day from all over the globe - I thank you. It was quite the welcome back to Australia. I am humbled. My tribe is true!
I still felt very connected to the world in my hermetically sealed room and through my closed window. I was just thrilled I could see some blue sky after all that hazy Penang air quality. My view of a neon sign and the freeway outside was better than most folks had in here - I could at least see outside and not stare at brick walls. The sun shone onto my bed for a whole 30 mins a day which was a vast improvement on two and a half months plus without sun while I was in lockdown in Malaysia. It really is all about perspective.
Staring out at hunched, drably dressed office workers and a very quiet CBD has eased me into what awaits me on the outside - somewhat. It has also reminded me of all the reasons why I left the city in the first place. But that's what happens when you leave - you change - but what you left behind rarely does. And that is OK. It is all part of it. I have almost mastered the art of zero expectations.
I got to watch TV for the first time in a very, very long time too. I had to ease into it, I must say, an hour or two a day was all I could really manage. I had no idea there are so many channels now. I also had no idea how narrow and parochial the news has become here. With fresh eyes and ears, Australia sounds a bit like it exists in a bubble. It really does. Of course, travel shows made me weep because I could smell the markets, hear the sounds, taste the food, feel the dust and the chaos through the screen. I miss the world being open. I miss it very much. Most shows simply appeared otherworldly and surreal to me - people seem to shout a lot and are obsessed with cushions, painting walls and baking things. I preferred the silence. That feeling may pass but probably not.
It is cold, wet and looking windy out there - also things I am certainly not used to anymore as I live endless summer and I'm ok with that. The world is upside down - endless summers are going to be elusive for a little while longer I think. But I am so grateful I don't have to worry about so many things like: my flights cancelling, or worse being unable to get back here in an emergency to see my family, watching Asia open then close again and the instability of the region I call home, the status of my visa or the fear of more lockdowns in a country I had no intention of ever settling in alone - the weight of not knowing what the next day would hold and all the uncertainty that comes with that has been immense. So the relief started kicking in on the very first day I landed. For the first time in months, I actually slept soundly. 2020 is a time to roost - wherever that perch may be and whatever that nest may look like. Mine will have lots of suitcases I think.
I write this today with a yellow armband that says 'COVID19 NSW - Saturday'. That is my release band that signifies my day of freedom. I was visited by an army officer, a doctor, a police officer and a nurse as my final farewell. I got a certificate from the Health Department to prove my status as a non-bio hazard. Tomorrow I show my exemption so I don't have to pay $3k and another police check and I'm out at my designated hour. A number of hotels in Sydney are going to start transitioning to normal this week. Contracts are over. Those fees to quarantine have turned off a lot of people to return to Australia. Arrivals are in decline. Yet there are still Australian citizens stranded all over the globe.
Today - it has felt very fitting to graduate the last 142 days with a certificate. This year has been a true education in life for me. A defining watershed chapter. It has been a long lesson in resilience, patience, surrender, trust, evolution and total self-autonomy. The person who went into lockdown on March 18 is not the same person walking out of here tomorrow. And for that I am thankful. I have been given the gift of time that very few people ever get. A time to really get to know myself better and to steel my inner beliefs, my resolve, revisit my values, remind myself of my strengths, go within and to see my life for what it really is. The good, the bad and the ugly. How many people can say they got months on end to truly sit, examine and really understand their life? I got that opportunity and it has revealed many mysteries, many joys and many truths.
The things that have become clear to me over this time are profound and that is what that certificate represents to me. I came back to Oz for a reason but I had to come back to me first.
*I start this list by saying I saw and spoke to more people in the last two weeks than I did in lockdown in Malaysia the entire time. I never once felt isolated. Like most things in life its a mental game - I also came from an extreme situation where I had skilled up on self-care/ compassion etc so this seemed very easy in comparison. For others, it was quite difficult. It is all relative*
QUARANTINE - things they don't tell you and probably should before you decide to return or even worse pay $3k AUD:
- You are a detainee of the State from the moment you land into Australia and until you are released from quarantine. Yes, you are in a 5-star hotel but this will not be a 5-star stay.
- You won't be getting a $3k experience so don't expect one - consider this paying for the privilege of being in Australia again (and funding the State govt) in fact, the less you think about that the better.
- You will do all your own cleaning the entire time - vacuums are not allowed - so crumbs become part of life
- No one - I repeat no one - will be allowed to enter your room - unless its 000 to take you to a hospital
- All outside deliveries get inspected by the police downstairs and they will confiscate it until you leave ( that includes postal deliveries of an intimate nature as some guy found out during my stay)
- Two COVID tests will be conducted within 10 days - you will be standing up - with your head resting against your hotel door. If you refuse you do extra time. I had three tests - none were comfortable. I can also vouch for the fact it is nothing like eating wasabi - wasabi is fun - this is not. Whoever said this is a liar.
- Catering is organised by the NSW government and is brought in from outside so it is really hit and miss ( a polite way of saying totally inedible at times) so don't expect hotel standards. You will hear a knock on the door and like magic, a brown paper baggie with things in it that resemble food will appear 3 times a day. It is luck of the draw - most days 2 out of three meals were not edible. And we all know I eat basically everything. Even I lived on lunch most days.
- Dietary requirements are often overlooked. 300 people were in my hotel at one stage and of those 200 had dietary requirements. Mind-boggling to think that many people can't cope for two short weeks without their diet 'needs' being met. A very limited in house dining menu is provided. The prices of course after living in Asia will make your eyes water. But sometimes a girl just needs a Wagyu burger and a cheeky organic Shiraz.
-You will only be allowed to order food from outside ie Uber, Deliveroo etc ONCE a day - you have to use it wisely.
- You have unlimited speedy WiFi so it's always happy days.
- There is a designated registered nurse on-site 24/7 for scripts meds etc. There are nurses that check on you every single day. People check you for symptoms via a phone call every single day. You will be asked a lot of questions.
- There is a table outside that is pushed against the door that is your table for all transactions and deliveries. They just knock the door when something arrives.
- You have no fresh air - only air-con and you can not open a window even if they were openable
- A mental health team is on-site and you will get checked daily via phone if need be. They have a designated nurse just for mental health at all times. And a call service. There is a psychologist session prior to departure.
- The mental health team were very aware most people now coming into Sydney are often flying to other cities - logistically so stressful. Most people are also coming back to no work and/ or family emergencies and a very uncertain future. People have often left behind lives in other countries under challenging circumstances. A lot have had to find interim accommodation until they find their feet.
- Everyone wears masks - everyone
- No smoking or vaping at all - nicotine patches are provided for those that don't want to go cold turkey. Glad I kicked the habit years ago.
- There are no sharp knives allowed in the rooms - try cutting a tomato with a blunt bread knife for two weeks, its a joy.
- The bar fridges don't keep your food cold - so don't stock up too much
- Everything that enters the room is a biohazard. Any extra food, sachets etc is not donated at the end of your stay - trust me it was my first question - it's all destroyed. You will flinch at the amount of waste and plastics being used.
- No toasters etc allowed either (knives, toasters - you get the picture)
- Laundry was $50 a load. I will just let that sink in a bit. Hand washing in the tub or shower becomes normal again. Lucky I am good at camping.
- You can order Woolworths to deliver - I suggest you do that ASAP as the delivery wait was almost a day and a half.
- The quota for alcohol is 1 bottle of wine or 6 beers or 375m spirits per person per day and the police check everything coming in so no sneaky 6 packs.
- Care packs of goodies are allowed BUT no pre-cooked food, or food that can be reheated, or extra booze etc is allowed - that gets checked too
- They will give you linen to change your self ONCE in 2 weeks
- Towels get changed ( you put them in a garbage bag and place them outside) every 4 days with toiletries etc
- You will wash your own set of allocated dishes in the bathroom sink - they provide a fresh sponge and dishwashing liquid - once again bus life came in handy.
- We had a designated FB group so all the quaratiners at the hotel could chat or in our case argue about who got a banana for breakfast. Peoples personalities revealed themselves very quickly. Many who had left creature comforts would spend the day complaining about the food or other first-world issues. I soon noticed a lot of people really have very little grit these days or self-awareness when placed in extreme circumstances. They will fight, project and complain about anything. And others just laughed their way through the experience. Everyone's response was different.
What was 5 star? My departure gift - a bottle of champagne from the wonderful staff at the Park Royal who have had to endure this in their workplace. What a time to be alive. I think they deserve the champagne more than me.
Peace
