The First Month of Lockdown

On the 17th March 2020 the company I work for decided to shut, on the advise of the government. So having returned my key (for the front door) I found myself, like so many others, in a place and situation I have never even imagined.

If you’re reading this in the future and don’t really know the context let me set the setting for you. It’s 2020 and Covid-19 aka Coronavirus has broken loose and is causing havoc the world over… Okay, maybe I have been watching too many superhero movies because that made it sound like a supervillain! But I mean it’s true! I’m not taking it back, that’s how I’m describing it.

Most of the world has gone into lockdown, meaning that basically everything is closed and almost no-one is working at their work places but instead from home, or not at all, like those of us who work in restaurants (that’s kind of hard to do from home!) Most things are closed except key places like supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies, Doctors, Hospitals etc. Social distancing is a rule, it is recommended to keep 2 metres between yourself and anyone you don’t live with. For the first time ever I’m not being told off for being at home on the computer and being on social media all the time, in fact it’s recommended! People are actually, for once, washing their hands correctly and often. Basically the world has become a strange place. What’s the word the media keeps using? Unprecedented. It’s all very unprecedented.

I never thought that, in my life time, would walk into a supermarket and find it empty of food. But I did. My roommate and I went to grab some essentials, or just anything we could eat, and found very little to nothing on most of the shelves. I laughed it off to start off with, I mean the bizarreness of that was one thing, but reality eventually arrived as I realised we had nothing in our cupboards and neither did the supermarkets. We weren’t one of those who panic bought everything, we thought it was all going to just blow over. Not going to lie, I got a bit worried! I did venture out again and found a few random food items to keep us going. Also one benefit of working in a restaurant at a time when it has to close for an uncertain amount of time, is that there is a whole bunch of stock that has to go somewhere or the bin. We helped the general manager put the restaurant into ‘hibernation’ and thus gained a 2kg bag of pasta, loads of cooked meats, about 4kgs of cheese… and the piece de resistance; toilet paper.

We now sit a month later and most supermarkets are more or less back to fully stocked. Though eggs, flour and, randomly, peanut butter are a little hard to find.

Lockdown began about a month ago now. A month of being at home and not leaving our area. Needless to say I’m restless! My wanderlust is yelling at me to go travelling or explore some new place. I want to be in a place with other people around, with atmosphere and life. The Easter weekend brought about several stunningly beautiful days, here in London, all I wanted to do was call up some friends go and check out markets and then sit in a cute ‘beer garden’ for the evening, with live music. I had never realised how much we all take for granted when it comes to going out to do activities or just be in a crowded place, even if at times it just frustrates us, but having been in our little two person flat I can definitely appreciate those times. Though I will never appreciate being stuck in a cramped Tube! For now, though, Pinterest pictures and future travel plans must do. As well as mass video chats with all the family!

There is a small part of my brain that thinks it’s all fake, that can’t quite comprehend how many people have died from Coronavirus, just how serious the whole thing is. It’s just so unbelievable, sorry unprecedented. I know I’m not the only one. While out walking or food shopping we spend so much time doing everything that we can to keep the recommended two metres distance but it’s hard when you feel like you’re one of the only people doing it. People seem to forget that we need to do it, not just for ourselves, but also for others, the people that we interact with whether they are family or strangers. I’m am consistently surprised by how many people are out and about. How many cars there are driving past, or people gathering in parks. I think that if the streets were emptier and there were stricter rules (and that they were being enforced) we would all believe it a bit more.

Despite everything I know there are good things coming out of this whole unprecedented situation; the Venice canals are clear, China actually saw the sky because the smog cleared, animals and nature are having a breather from from humans, cities and countries that are normally over-run with tourists are getting a break and we’re finally getting the opportunity to get all those things done that we don’t normally get the chance to do! (Even if it is only binge watching all the shows and movies on our ‘to watch’ lists!)

Hopefully we are all learning and have learnt some valuable things from this ‘unprecedented’ pandemic. The importance of hand-washing correctly, and general personal hygiene. When you’re ill to just take the day off work, not just for yourself but also for the others you work with and their families. That anything can happen and there is nothing you can do to prepare for it. That toilet paper is the first thing to go when we all panic.

And though I’m sitting here in my little ‘bubble’, listening to the news and reading about it all online I still can’t believe it’s real, that right now, in May 2020, this is our reality. I mean I also know that I’m not imagining it because there aren’t any dragons or magic or elves or a prince charming! I mean what’s life without a few curve balls, it’d be boring otherwise!