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29Mar

A NEW START | CoV Chapter #6

Posted by: anke* Categories: JOURNAL SHANGHAI
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{SHANGHAI ~ March 29, 2020}

Everyone has been impacted by the situation at a different point in time. I mark January 24th as DAY #1.

Today is DAY #66 and things in Shanghai seemed to be almost back to normal. There are very strict control measures and for 66 days I’m wearing a mask, get my temperature checked multiple times a day and keep distance to people.

The only mask-free zone is at home. But it’s ok. If that’s the price of getting out of the apartment, I’m happy to pay it.

School is still closed and we all wait for the day it opens again because that’s a sign of having the situation under control. Yes – “under control” because it’s not over! 

Now China is closing the boarder to the rest of the world. It’s a reverse situation no one would have thought of a few weeks ago. I’m now more worried about my family and friends outside China and really hope everyone stays at home and keeps distance to each other.

In my simple mind I’m thinking: if the whole world stays inside for a few weeks then it’ll be all over soon. It’s about getting it under control and flattering the curve. It’s about having enough health care for people who caught the virus. I’m very aware of the fact that no matter what, life won’t be the same for a very long time; but at least the situation would be under control.

Keep Safe, Take Care!

…to be continue…

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29Mar

ME-TIME | CoV Chapter #5

Posted by: anke* Categories: JOURNAL SHANGHAI
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{SHANGHAI ~ January – March, 2020}

What to do when all of a sudden going outside becomes a risk or is even not allowed? 

My way dealing with the situation was very simple: Just get over it. it’s easy for me to say because I’m on my own; no family, no kids I have to worry about or entertain. It’s just managing me and my sanity through the lock-down.

When I was locked in, the rest of the world was still safe and I thought a lot about leaving China once this is over. I thought about the “freedom” back home in Germany. The possibility to hop into a car and travel through Europe. I thought about having a normal life again…

Besides a lot of work I had to do I kept myself busy with two main things: ‘Thinking about the future’ and being creative.

On the weekends, I facetimes a lot with my family and I kept them updated – but as I said – it all seemed to be so far away for everyone in Europe. Some people even said the empty street photos from China were fake…but that’s a different story.

I also used the weekend for arts and craft. I created cards, envelopes, was painting, drawing and enjoyed “yoga for the brain”. It’s all posted on my DIY page: >insert link<

Now, what would I do differently if I would go through the lock-down again…?

There are definitely a few things I would do differently. I can’t control work so much because it was and still is a very critical business situation so I would definitely put in the same effort again. 

But I would start my day with a workout routine: some yoga or Tabata. I didn’t do that and therefore my day became a Bed – Laptop – Bed – Laptop – Bed… routine. Not good for body and mind.

I would also try to “leave the office” – close the laptop and have some quality time in the evening.

I could have taken the time to learn Chinese and read more books. But overall I think I was very productive during my non-working time.If I would have kids….gosh…. so many creative ideas keeping the little monsters busy. The internet is full of things to do.

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29Mar

GHOST TOWN | CoV Chapter #4

Posted by: anke* Categories: JOURNAL SHANGHAI
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{SHANGHAI ~ February 17, 2020}

It was a nice and sunny Sunday on February 9th– day #17, when I had an apartment-meltdown. My step counter of my health app counted in average of 30 steps a day and my body started hurting from sitting at the table the entire time.

I decided to jump on my bike and go for a ride around the city. So far I only left my place to go grocery shopping, but when I cycled all the way through Xuhui district and up Jing’An I couldn’t believe what I saw: 

Nothing. No one. 

Empty streets and highways. Closed stores, closed cafes, empty parks, a few people here and there – it was like a ghost town.

In a city with 23million people everyone stayed inside their apartments.

I cycled on main roads, over 4 lane crossings for over 2 hours. It was great to be outside but it was also frightening.

On February 9thShanghai had 281 confirmed cases. The rest of the world had 300 cases with Germany 14 and Italy 3 cases. Everything was still far away…

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29Mar

DEALING WITH THE SITUATION | CoV Chapter #3

Posted by: anke* Categories: JOURNAL SHANGHAI
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{SHANGHAI ~ January – March, 2020}

Although half of the face was covered by a mask, eyes can tell you everything! When I looked into peoples eyes I saw a mix of fear, hope and empathy – because we all go through the same, we all don’t know what it means and and we all don’t know how long it will last for. Those very very toughing moments.

In general I was very busy with work during the lock-down. Day after day passed by and it sometimes happened that I didn’t know what day it was. I got up, made some coffee, opened my laptop, plugged in my headphones and was mainly in calls until late evening; fell into my bad just to repeat the same scenario a few hours later again and again.

I was very exhausted by work, not so much by the fact being locked into my apartment. I still had my list of things to do. 

It’s the extended week of Chinese New Year holiday, the week of February 3rd. China just started to move towards the peak of the virus while the rest of the world was sending Corona jokes around. It’s not funny when you’re directly impacted by the situation and you receive jokes from people that are not impacted at all [at least at that point of time].

There were a few things that helped me to rationalize going thru the situation and the lock-down:

The facts about the virus and its incubation time of 14 days made it logical to me that it can be easily spread without recognizing it. So if you do the maths and you look at the number of infected cases day by day, you can conclude that it will continue like that if no measures are set up.

For me, what China did was the right thing to do: lock down the cities and advise everyone to stay inside. I was hoping that when everyone stays inside, the spread of the virus might get under control – flatten the curve!

In China, this is easier to control and get thru. No one is questioning whether or not it’s correct that the door guy can measure my temperature, or that I enter my name, phone number and temperature in an open list before I enter a restaurant. I didn’t question it and I still don’t question it. At the end I have a choice: I either enter my data or I stay at home. As easy as that.

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29Mar

SHANGHAI LOCK-DOWN | CoV Chapter #2

Posted by: anke* Categories: JOURNAL SHANGHAI
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{SHANGHAI ~ January – March, 2020}

I haven’t been outside since I left the office for Chinese New Year break – basically 3 full days.

I checked my pantry and there was nothing but a half pack of pasta left. Moreover, I was running out of drinking water. On that Monday I decided to go outside to have breakfast, get some groceries and check-out the overall situation. 

I’m well supplied with masks from the bad Shanghai pollution days.

Mask on and ready to go outside.

First thing I noticed walking down my old lane was that all entrances were locked with chains. The only way to get in and out the lane was thru the main gate. And even that was closed. The old guy who used to clean around the lane was now wearing an arm band and controlled who’s going in and out the lane. At 9pm was curfew and the main gate was locked as well with no chance of entering the lane.

I received a “Lane pass” to enter the lane and I was supposed to register every time I go in and out with date, name, phone number and temperature.

The benefit of being the only Westerner in the lane is that everyone anyway knows what I’m doing and therefore they didn’t ask for my pass the whole time.

I made my way towards Baker & Spice on Anfu Lu. Streets were empty. Barely anyone was outside. Almost all shops along the way on WuYuan Lu and Wulumuqi Lu were closed and so was Baker & Spice as well.

In the hope that shopping malls are still open I decided to go to the iapm Mall on Huaihai Lu. Luckily it was open. The mall was only accessible thru one entrance where first my temperature got checked before I was able to enter the mall.

The mall was almost empty. I went down to City Super for some groceries and water and was shocked when I saw the half empty shelves. It didn’t feel good to be outside so I grabbed what I needed and made my way back home.

On Tuesday the government announced that Chinese New Year holiday will be extended to February 10 and offices should remain closed.

The same day IKEA closed all its branches in Shanghai and apple closed all its stores in China.

Also that day I registered myself at the German Consulate in Shanghai. The safest was to stay inside and do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus. 

There were 80 cases and 1 fatality in Shanghai when IKEA closed all of its branches. Considering Shanghai is a city with 23 million citizen, the early measures to avoid the spread were incredible. Every place that was still open had to measure temperature and record every single person. Restaurants removed tables and the maximum time to stay was 60min.

Hand sanitizers and masks were sold out within a few days and there were queues – and fights – in front of pharmacies. Later, it was possible to register and get a coupon for 3 masks.

For the following 12 days I only left my apartment once to get groceries and water. The rest I stayed inside. 

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29Mar

THE BEGINNING | CoV Chapter #1

Posted by: anke* Categories: JOURNAL SHANGHAI
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{SHANGHAI ~ January 24, 2020}

The first weeks of 2020 were already super busy, therefore my plans for Chinese New Year were very easy: staycation in Shanghai. I wanted to explore all the museums that newly opened, trying out new restaurants and cafes and just having a chillaxed time, knowing that everyone takes a break for 10 days.

Little did I know and little did the world know what the coming weeks would bring to all our personal and work lives – some sooner, some later. But as of today, March 29, 2020, it hit everyone in the world…..

I remember hearing about the Corona-Virus the week before the Chinese New Year holiday started. Some of my colleagues were already wearing masks in the office. It’s very common in China to wear masks when people have a cough which I always found very thoughtful but never did it myself. I also read a few articles about the spread of the virus and that it’s not confirmed to be transmitted by humans. Everything seemed to be far away from me.

January 24thwas my first day of Chinese New Year holiday.

I had a list with all my to-dos. Besides cultural activities I planned to declutter my apartment. Every single drawer and corner was planned to be inspected and decluttered.

Very unusual for me: instead of being lazy I started on Day 1 with decluttering my apartment and had a very productive Friday.

What also happened on January 24thwas that authorities took a dramatic step to quarantine 12 cities including Wuhan. Consequently, business was impacted and from Saturday onwards I have been pulled into business updates and the preparation of regular overviews of the situation to upper Management. 

But let’s keep work aside. I want to share my personal experience going thru the lock-down here in Shanghai and observing how the world reacted to it. It’s not over yet – we are all in the middle of it right now.

Wuhan and some other cities were on lock-down and I was right at the beginning of my Chinese New Year holiday. 

Things happened very quickly here in Shanghai. That’s how things are managed here in China – there is a decision and everyone follows. So within a few days Shanghai became a ghost town.

It’s usually a bit quieter in Shanghai during Chinese New Year but this quietness was different.

I live in one of the old Shanghai Lanes. My apartment is in an old art décor building from the 1930s and I’m the only westerner in the lane. There are a few entrance doors to the building, and a gate to enter the lane. It’s a very nice old lane. 

I experienced that things are getting serious when someone knocked on my door on Saturday January 25. The Lane Community started to check how many people live in each apartment and if visitors are expected. Then later that day I read that people are asked to stay inside and if the go outside they should wear a mask. 

Sunday was another day at home. It was raining cats and dogs – perfect day to stay inside and using the creative side of the brain.

Almost all of my colleagues and friends left Shanghai for Chinese New Year holiday so I didn’t really have anyone to talk or check-in what they think about the situation.

The check of the Lane Community the day before did make me think more about the situation and what it eventually means.

I started to look at the reports from OneTube.

China is amazing in developing or updating APPs based on whatever situation. In the case of Corona, BAIDU maps immediately added a function where people can see crowded places and avoid those. All based on GPS data and only possible due to the fact that there is no data privacy.

On Sunday January 26 Shanghai announced to close all public venues followed by restaurants and some stores.

When I checked that day, Shanghai had not even 66 cases whereof only 3 cases were in Xuhui District.

Compared to the raise of over 10.000 in Wuhan, I considered Shanghai as “safe”, however, it didn’t even cross my mind that due to the low number of cases the measures to mitigate the spread were exaggerated. For me it was crystal clear to fully comply with the restrictions, Lane Community rules and government regulations.

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