Four days ago, I went into community quarantine with my boyfriend in our home in Quezon City, Philippines. As you may know, the entire world is currently experiencing a pandemic called Coronavirus or COVID-19 that originated from Wuhan, China. It has spread to all of the continents and infected many people. It's also expected to infect many more.
So that's what's happening outside my house right now. There's a pandemic that automatically put a stop on literally everything in Metro Manila including my new job.
My new employer kindly informed me today that my start date and training will be postponed until further notice in accordance with the enhanced community quarantine guidelines. It was good of them to be mindful of their employees and their impact on society.
I am happy to comply with their directive so I'm going to stay home until April 15, 2020. By that time, I will be jobless for nearly four months. No big deal.
We've also gone to the grocery on day 2 of the quarantine to get some supplies. You won't believe the long lines and the extreme number of people who were were hoarding rubbing alcohol in our local grocery. But we didn't mind them so we focused on buying food, toiletries and vitamins.
Anyway, my week was spent at home with my boyfriend. I've cleaned the house, practiced cooking more complex dishes to serve to him and binge-watched Netflix with him. Our normal daily routine includes waking up midday, eating two meals and doing our own hobbies to pass the time. We've already lived together for nine months and we've been happy with that arrangement.
You will find Duckie in front of his computer at all hours of the day. However, you'll find me in the living room with the tv on while playing Obey Me! Shall We date on my phone.
I don't know why I like to watch true crime shows while doing something else. It's a habit that I've picked up when I used to live alone. I remember that I used to watch a lot of documentaries about serial killers and then falling asleep on the couch when I used to live in my uncle's house. I don't why it's so soothing to me. (Shout-out to Serial Killers by the Parcast Network on Spotify because you never fail to put me to sleep!)
There are other things to do in the house aside from cleaning, cooking and doing the laundry. I still have a stack of books to read like my boyfriend's ex's Nicholas Sparks book collection, comics, a long backlog of anime, an even longer backlog of shows to watch on Netflix and some coloring books. I love coloring books! It's so soothing and it relieves my anxiety from being cooped up in the house.
To be honest, the community quarantine has severely affected us because I can't go to work and my boyfriend cannot apply for work in the same company. We're worrying about money and how to make ends meet a lot. This sounds like a first world problem but we also feel sad that we cannot order food from Grab anymore.
But we're both grateful that we can still eat, we have a roof over our head and we have internet. We have electricity, running water and communication with our family. We're still lucky and we're grateful for that.
My boyfriend and mother is responsible for reminding me how to be grateful for all of your blessings and privilege. As long as we're eating three times a day, that's already a huge blessing. I am deeply grateful for everything that I have right now.
I've often told my boyfriend that my life was unceremoniously paused and my future was uncertain. He would only laugh at me. It was his idea to look at my extended unemployment as a vacation. It was Joel Osteen's podcast that taught me to look at this time of silence with a grateful heart.
My life was always fast-paced, busy and full of turbulent change. Now, my life is flowing into one direction like a swift river with a strong undercurrent. I am beginning to see the benefit of being unemployed because it's teaching me how to sit still and be quiet. This is an unexpected gift to me and I wholeheartedly accept it.
In the following days within the quarantine, I am looking forward to working on my first novel. I've begun to work on it as my main project and I'm excited. It's going to be a supernatural romance with a devil and a witch child. I'm optimistic that I might be able to finish it within 30 days.
As for the home front, I'm sincerely excited to continue my so-called "housewife training". My boyfriend often teases me for being cheeky and candid because I always say what's on my mind. If not for my sharp tongue, I would have been a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko according to him. He's enjoying seeing me get better at cleaning, cooking, laundry and folding clothes.
I guess I'm not depressed anymore if I'm talking about the silver lining in this enhanced community quarantine.
My new employer kindly informed me today that my start date and training will be postponed until further notice in accordance with the enhanced community quarantine guidelines. It was good of them to be mindful of their employees and their impact on society.
I am happy to comply with their directive so I'm going to stay home until April 15, 2020. By that time, I will be jobless for nearly four months. No big deal.
We've also gone to the grocery on day 2 of the quarantine to get some supplies. You won't believe the long lines and the extreme number of people who were were hoarding rubbing alcohol in our local grocery. But we didn't mind them so we focused on buying food, toiletries and vitamins.
Anyway, my week was spent at home with my boyfriend. I've cleaned the house, practiced cooking more complex dishes to serve to him and binge-watched Netflix with him. Our normal daily routine includes waking up midday, eating two meals and doing our own hobbies to pass the time. We've already lived together for nine months and we've been happy with that arrangement.
You will find Duckie in front of his computer at all hours of the day. However, you'll find me in the living room with the tv on while playing Obey Me! Shall We date on my phone.
I don't know why I like to watch true crime shows while doing something else. It's a habit that I've picked up when I used to live alone. I remember that I used to watch a lot of documentaries about serial killers and then falling asleep on the couch when I used to live in my uncle's house. I don't why it's so soothing to me. (Shout-out to Serial Killers by the Parcast Network on Spotify because you never fail to put me to sleep!)
There are other things to do in the house aside from cleaning, cooking and doing the laundry. I still have a stack of books to read like my boyfriend's ex's Nicholas Sparks book collection, comics, a long backlog of anime, an even longer backlog of shows to watch on Netflix and some coloring books. I love coloring books! It's so soothing and it relieves my anxiety from being cooped up in the house.
To be honest, the community quarantine has severely affected us because I can't go to work and my boyfriend cannot apply for work in the same company. We're worrying about money and how to make ends meet a lot. This sounds like a first world problem but we also feel sad that we cannot order food from Grab anymore.
But we're both grateful that we can still eat, we have a roof over our head and we have internet. We have electricity, running water and communication with our family. We're still lucky and we're grateful for that.
My boyfriend and mother is responsible for reminding me how to be grateful for all of your blessings and privilege. As long as we're eating three times a day, that's already a huge blessing. I am deeply grateful for everything that I have right now.
I've often told my boyfriend that my life was unceremoniously paused and my future was uncertain. He would only laugh at me. It was his idea to look at my extended unemployment as a vacation. It was Joel Osteen's podcast that taught me to look at this time of silence with a grateful heart.
My life was always fast-paced, busy and full of turbulent change. Now, my life is flowing into one direction like a swift river with a strong undercurrent. I am beginning to see the benefit of being unemployed because it's teaching me how to sit still and be quiet. This is an unexpected gift to me and I wholeheartedly accept it.
In the following days within the quarantine, I am looking forward to working on my first novel. I've begun to work on it as my main project and I'm excited. It's going to be a supernatural romance with a devil and a witch child. I'm optimistic that I might be able to finish it within 30 days.
As for the home front, I'm sincerely excited to continue my so-called "housewife training". My boyfriend often teases me for being cheeky and candid because I always say what's on my mind. If not for my sharp tongue, I would have been a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko according to him. He's enjoying seeing me get better at cleaning, cooking, laundry and folding clothes.
I guess I'm not depressed anymore if I'm talking about the silver lining in this enhanced community quarantine.
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