MY COVID 19 - PANDEMIC EXPERIENCE

I still remember the date; 17th May 2020 when I was filled with fear that it was all coming to an end a little too soon. My boss requested me to leave the office early and get checked in a government clinic since I was short of breath and had a mild fever. 

I did not think of anything at first, but as time went by the fear of the worst filled my chest. Thankfully, it was just a case of low hemoglobin. I was spared, for the time being at least.  

Albeit, I did not feel too good so I had to take medications to increase the count of my red blood cells which I have been doing like forever. So, the news of lockdown came at the right time because I needed to be nursed back to health. 

I could stay home for only 2 days in a row, maximum before this. 

In a tiny corner of my heart, something sunk because I was not used to staying at home for a long period of time. I had to go out and let off some steam at least once a week. To my knowledge, my maximum capacity of staying home all day was only once a week, twice at most if I had to but no more than that. 

Worrying is my second nature since I am a bit of an over-thinker, there were countless sleepless nights, restless afternoons, I sure was working from home, that was a bit of solace during the day but after that the thoughts would come to feast off me. 

To top it off, the videos of hundreds of people dying due to the pandemic, people who refused to stay home, friends who are working as front liners at the hospital and essential workers at the airport, etc lurked in the fortress of my mind.

I have no idea how I survived, I would just lie in bed, paralyzed with fear of the worst and the next morning I would wake up just in time to shower and start work. 

This went on for a few weeks when something clicked inside of me. Whatever I was doing wasn't helping anyone, not my family, not myself, not others who are risking their lives out there. I decided to start fresh. 

Yoga Mat + Podcasts = Huge Difference

That night, I forced myself to sleep early by listening to some interesting podcast. The next morning, I woke up energized, did some yoga, showered, grabbed breakfast and prayed for the best. 

Positive thoughts = Positive attitude

I kept the positive attitude and when the negatives came with their rifles, I tricked them and confiscated their rifles. They were left unarmed, helpless. 

After work, I would relax with my family members before hitting the sack a couple of hours later. I sure dreaded the lock down at first, I would be lying if I said I did not get all worked up and claustrophobic in the comfort of my own home. 

But I thought about people who have it worse out there, who have no rest, who have no chance of meeting their family, although my heart breaks for them, I can't help but appreciate what I have.  

So, day in and day out my siblings and I would experiment with something new. My sister made dalgona coffee (I know, cliche) we tried making different types of kuih like kuih sago, kuih lapis, we satisfied our cravings by making our own KFC, chicken rice, etc. 

Kuih Sago

Dalgona Coffee

Homemade KFC

Chicken Rice

A new miracle was I learned cooking and I actually enjoyed it, I did things I never had the time to do, organized all my stuff, read a book, got some writing done, spent time with my family, and so many more. It was quite an experiment and a relief all at once. 

What started as a nightmare turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I dealt with my heartbreak by praying for the people I couldn't physically help like our beloved front liners and kept a positive attitude all along. 

To those of you who are reading this; I'm not sure if the pandemic is over yet, but if your family, friends or loved ones are working as front liners, my heart goes out to you, I hope they are fine and will be fine.

A humble request to stay safe, now that the government has relaxed the movement control order, it is up to us to continue being cautious for some more time and be safer than ever. 

Wear masks and gloves at all costs, sanitize your hands every now and then, regularly wash your hands with hand wash as well, do not have close contact with anyone, maintain a safe 1 meter distance in queues, and so goes the list. You know the drill. :)

Happy Ramadan, have a blessed Ramadan that will help you to resist every temptation and win every challenge in life! 

To all my Muslim friends, it goes without saying that this Ramadan is a bit bizarre in comparison to the previous years. Hang in there, everything happens for a reason, celebrate this Raya safely. I'll also take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Ramadan!

This pandemic is a cruel way for anyone to depart, let's protect ourselves and our loved ones in whatever ways we can! Sending you all my love and just remember; You Are Not Alone.