Self Note on Living Amid Global Pandemic
This is a reflection of living amid a global pandemic.
For some of us, this has been our 4th month of staying home. After a certain period of time, we are starting to adjust to the so-called new normal. Yes, things are definitely changing from how they used to be, the way we eat, work, study, shop, and even to look at the value of our relationships. While we as individuals are finding ways to cope in these unprecedented times, governments are also finding ways to save lives and economies. Alas, we are currently in a huge social experiment of solving the way out of this pandemic. I happen to experience this in two separate countries. I still remember clearly the first week the pandemic was announced in the Netherlands, we were all in a sudden put into lockdown in our houses and apartments. It was the middle of March. For us students, study activities are also shifting to online, also happening in a matter of days. Fear and confusion were strongly present at that time, as nobody was expecting such a sudden shift taking place. Instinctively, the main priority is to stay healthy and not to stress myself over things that I cannot control. However, that first week I was still confused and trying to figure out what is really happening in the outside world. To some extent, I do feel safe being in the Netherlands, because the government is taking careful measures in controlling the pandemic. Being in the middle of an outbreak epicenter, I can clearly sense the city is being completely silent for days. Later on, it was announced that the government is imposing intelligent lockdown, implying that people can still go outside for getting mandatory supplies, doing outdoor exercise, or simply to get some fresh air. Social and physical distancing is also taken very seriously, both in public and private spaces. No more than 3 people from different households were allowed to gather together at once. Most shops and public places were to remain closed. While being stuck in my room, I was sometimes amused by seeing the trees and flowers blooming as it was the middle of the spring season.
After literally being quarantined for 40 days, I decided to fly back to Indonesia. Given the uncertainties, and after calculating all costs and benefits, I believe it is better to be home. Flying was something that people are likely to avoid amidst pandemic. But again, I wouldn’t overthink it, and instead, do what’s in my control by preparing myself to be on the 12 hours flight to Jakarta. Others should follow. Flying experience was definitely different from normal times. I had a mask on the whole time, sanitizing everything for every hour or two, and the plane was much quieter as fewer people were allowed in the flight. At that time, no strict regulations such as presenting a health certificate, covid-19 test, etc that was applied to the passengers. Therefore, the bet was on our own fit-to-fly assessment. This was quite a surprise for me, especially that we don’t undergo any rigorous screening once arriving in Jakarta. But then I did my part by doing a rather strict self-quarantine (since there were no other options for me at that time). From this experience, I believe overseas travel would be somewhat different for the months to come. Given the complication, people are likely to reassess their purpose of travel. However, I do believe the new normal is to create more efficiency, safety, and convenience in traveling. Thus, air travel has its own “luxurious” value, like back in the days.
Now I am still in my second quarantine in Jakarta. The difference is that I have much more space for my own, also to take care of more things. To this day, I still try to stay home as much as possible. As time passes by, my confusion about what is going on in the outside world is gradually being unraveled. We are still in the largest social experiment, as we haven’t really figured the way out of this pandemic. While some countries are slowly opening up, here in Indonesia we haven’t really reached the peak of the first wave, let alone think about the second wave outbreak. But the risk is perhaps unbearable if we were to pause even longer, so we are digging into the human vs economic penalty. After the lockdown, the new normal is probably the next stage of a large social experiment taking place to keep the country's economy going, yet at the same time to strategically find ways of getting through the pandemic. It is indeed a tough and challenging time to be in. We can either blame the virus for causing all the troubles in the world or to thank them for revealing humanity a lot of things. During my lockdown in Jakarta, I’ve seen days of clear blue skies, which I can barely remember the last time I saw it in my own hometown. Or the way we consume and how we value money. During the lockdown, we are showing solidarity by supporting local small scale businesses. If this continues during the new normal, it is likely that we are participating in the economic recovery. In terms of our social relations, we really learn to maintain our social ties with the help of technology. A lot of shifts are or must be taking place during the new normal. Once the pandemic is over, let’s appreciate ourselves for getting through it with resilience and taking the courage of transforming parts of our lives. Meanwhile, let’s keep our mask on, keep the distance, and stay healthy.
