Evanescence

Praying very hard that this episode vaporises like the evanescence of the alcohol content in a hand sanitiser.

Guess we will get over it and recover in no time. But being caught in it means waiting for time to pass – watching the ticking of the clock or a checking off the calendar. But then again, we live on the equator, so .. hmm. We cannot count down to hotter days, but rather, count down to the end of flu season.

These episodes leave imprints on us though. We are really cautious this time because we experienced S A R S seventeen years ago. I did not realise it is THAT long ago, it felt like just a few years back, that is how vivid the memories are. I was not even fully into the situation then, because my brain was mostly occupied with sorting out my Uni applications, choice of coursework, all sorts of Visa and admin requirements. I only remember being screened at every building I visited (I had to visit sooo many buildings because of all the paperwork) and having to register my full particulars everywhere.

I don’t remember anything about masks or sanitisers though. Maybe that is how far we have advanced by now. It is not even allowed to request disclosure of our full particulars now. Seventeen years ago, I had to buy air plane tickets physically at travel agencies with all my physical documents. 😀 So there could not even be a panic buying online, because there was hardly any “online” stuff. Guess our source of news then was also only via television and Radio. RADIO. hahah. Dad and I tuned in to the radio when the siren sounded last weekend. Just for fun. (My country tests the siren every first day of the month, last week was different because it was Total Defence Day.)

Come to think of it … something just jogged my memory. During that period seventeen years ago, each time I flew into Melbourne, we had to stay onboard the plane and the cabin crew (or ground staff?) would walk up and down the aisle to spray us / the plane before we could disembark. I had just assumed it was a standard protocol to kill any pathogens that could cause harm to the agriculture industry. NOW I WONDER – was it because of S A R S? Hahaha. I am a different person now, it seems, I used to be a carefree, ignorant little kiddo, who only worries on hindsight. Looking back seventeen years is a very longgggg time for hindsight. 😀 Maybe another fifteen years later, I can then finally understand why the crazy pursuit of toilet paper (armed gang makes run for toilet rolls in HK$1,600 heist) in epidemics.

Sitting in my office now, just blogging and just preparing lecture notes, is quite a luxury of time. There are many things to be worried about (e.g. $$$) but it seems like I am really just enjoying this time-out for abit. I even made a little bag for baby Oscar to carry his bountiful new needs, even if it is for a short breather in the neighbourhood. See the tiny little tube with an extremely amateur label on it? haha, that is one big scarcity of a hand sanitiser right now.