This new and highly infectious Coronavirus (or COVID-19) has changed all our lives completely. We went into full lockdown. Here’s a chronicle of my personal experience during this time of the pandemic, while sharing some recipes that I whipped up at home.
As early as December last year, I came across this news snippet over social media about the deadly virus spreading in China. I first thought it was scaremongering fake news, and so we asked a friend in Hong Kong.
“A news I haven’t unheard of,” he said. While we’re so engaged in Hong Kong’s civil unrest in action, little we did realize that a worldwide pandemic was about to unravel.
This new and highly infectious Coronavirus (or COVID-19) has changed all our lives completely. We went into full lockdown. Our rather predictable lives defined by routines and habits are now confronted with uncertainty and the unexpected. A lot of changes are happening in the midst of fear, confusion, anxiety, and stress that this pandemic caused to many of us.
Restaurants and bars went closed, and the more we started eating at home. For me cooking at home brings in this sense of sanity and calm. Especially at this moment, the more I got drawn into it.
For sure I am not alone. In social media, everyone became home chefs overnight. Photos of food creations flooded my feed and stories. I actually don’t mind. In fact, I joined the bandwagon too. I started to post food photos more than ever before the lockdown happened.
We wouldn’t know for how long this crisis will continue on taking over our lives. Great reset, new normal – whatever we call it – this period has turned our lives upside down; and how we’ll survive after this will determine our next steps.
2020 is an unforgettable year for all of us.
Now that I’m back, I’ll start with chronicling our experience during this time of the pandemic, while sharing some recipes that I whipped up while in lockdown at home. Take note: food photos are mine and these were taken when I made these dishes, thanks to these recipes! In this “lockdown” chronicle I’m also sharing some information such as news events that concern this pandemic. In case you are looking for more relevant and up-to-date information on COVID-19, I encourage you to check the official sources such as the World Health Organization for worldwide updates. For updates in the EU/EEA and UK region, check the European Centre for Disease and Prevention and Control COVID-19 situation board.
Week 1: Post-Birthday Craze & That Friday 13 Feel
A few days after celebrating my youngest daughter’s birthday, and while all of us were already feeling under the weather 🤧, the Belgian government gathered in an emergency meeting and later announced that businesses and schools would be closing for the following weeks.
That Friday the 13th feeling was extra surreal. As days went further, it had become clearer – this is not something that will just pass anytime soon.
Offices were closed so people started working from home. Schools were closing as well, and despite the confusing federal rule concerning daycares, our kids’ childminders decided to close for safety reasons.
Restaurants and bars were closed, as well as places for entertainment and leisure. The essential ones remained open, such as food stalls for takeaways (frietkots are allowed, yey), bakeries (bread is life, yay), pharmacies, and supermarkets. People started hoarding and panic buying. For such a long time I had not seen empty shelves until by then. Yet despite this doomsday feel, some went on to their lockdown parties. Neighboring countries started closing their borders, so a few even attempted crossing the Dutch border to do some shopping. Really now!?
Kids were forbidden to be in close contact with their oma (grandma) and opa (grandpa). Non-essential visits to retirement homes and hospitals for non-urgent consultations and treatments were forbidden. Hospitals were gearing up, as numbers of patients were exponentially increasing.
“Flattening the curve through social distancing” had become the mantra. Here in Belgium, we went into full lockdown.
At home, we converted whatever free space we have into our respective workspaces. Our girls’ play area is not included, which is kind of vague because they just play sort of everywhere! 😅 I became a germaphobe overnight. I started cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting entirely everything at home. We gradually started stocking up food and medical supplies like a responsible shopper (guilt-tripping these hoarders, yeah). And I started cooking at home even more than ever before.
Week 2: Staying Safe & Alive
Everyone was being advised to do the following (in no order): wash your hands, sneeze into your elbow, keep a safe distance from others.
“How about also this – wear a mask?” I asked. In Asia, people started wearing face masks and shields on top of physical distancing and proper hygiene. Most people here were quite against it, and a Dutch study even claimed that masks are ineffective. It’s insufficient, I’d say, but for sure a preventive measure.
Later in the news, it was announced that there is apparently a significant shortage of masks in Belgium. Those people who already bought before are urged to donate their masks to the nearest hospital. Then China sent 30K surgical masks to Belgium, and more millions of pieces followed hereafter.
The so-called mundane daily routine wasn’t going as normal as it was before. Long queues in the supermarkets and pharmacies and the hoarding spree continued. Shops and businesses were shutting down; some temporarily while others appear to do it rather permanently. Some people were starting to behave more cautiously; you would sense sharp but frightful gazes when somebody coughs or sneezes.
More and stricter measures were put into place which can only be summed up with this message – do not go anywhere except when it is necessary. More and more EU countries were closing their borders, with flights and travels being canceled or postponed. In the news, the death numbers were increasing fast, especially in the hard-hit areas of Spain and Italy. It seems that entire Europe is being turned upside down by this virus. But no, it is now almost the entire world in this pandemic, with all of us trying to stay safe and alive.
Week 3: Beautiful Spring & Family Time
We ironically found ourselves in such a beautiful springtime this year. I had a slight dread of going out, thanks to that C-word lingering in our heads. But it’s also hard to resist these bright sunny days to pass by! Plus, the fact that the kids were feeling the weight of staying inside for way too long.
I find ourselves lucky living in a spacious, quiet, and green neighborhood, significantly away from busy and space-deprived city-dwellings. We made sure to spend some time outdoors, wandering in the nature parks nearby. So, some good and fresh springtime air outside did give us some relief.
In more other not-so-good news, the numbers of coronavirus death and infections keep on rising. People from different walks of life are affected, but the old, the vulnerable, and the poor are the ones impacted the most. The Olympic Games in Tokyo is officially postponed.
By then we’re stuck all together at home as a family, I’d say it was cozy and fun at first. After work and without a dreaded commute anymore, we could just spend some time together with our kids. We rarely go somewhere else, and the supermarket had become a constant destination, so I ended up cooking at home more than ever. Later, though, I felt that I was subliminally cooking and eating my stresses away.
Week 4: Flattening the Curve
We kept our Easter holiday low-key this year as we decided not to go anywhere else but just stay further at home. The girls’ egg hunting in the backyard was already a simple yet fun treat. Elsewhere, unfortunately, it seemed that most people are getting tired of the quarantine. With such beautiful spring weather that was hard to ignore, people started disobeying the rules. People started organizing their own garden parties (it’s the BBQ season, damn it), driving around to see their families and friends, or going away to the Ardense or the seacoast.
As gloomy as it was for not being able to do these, we’re still fortunate enough to be able to stay home safely. On the other hand, there are others who are working tirelessly and sacrificing their safety to fight off this virus. We can only hear heartbreaking stories of those who lost their loved ones, who did not have a chance to see them bid their final goodbyes.
All we had to do, the lucky ones, is to stay in quarantine. We’re meant to “flatten the curve.” Follow what Belgium’s health minister said over and over (in this remix) – blijf in uw kot, ik meen het! (Stay at home, I mean it!). 😂 P.S. This week, the curve had been flattening for a few days, getting ready for a downward bend. We’re crossing our fingers at home.
Week 5: The Coronavirus in Numbers
100,000 died of corona in Europe. That’s tough to imagine.
For this week, Belgium had around 37K cases of infections and more than 5K deaths. The curve was finally bending downwards. However, Belgium was all over the global news. This small country seemingly became a coronavirus danger zone, for having the highest rate of corona deaths in the world – 548.24 deaths per 1 million inhabitants.
In one of our phone conversations, my mom freaked out when she saw this on the news. Luckily, I followed this, so I had to explain how these statistics are vested towards an insidious political agenda, quoting, “142.78 dead per 1mil Americans. Hey, I’ve got it all under control!”. I further explained that the overly honest Belgians counted “all” coronavirus deaths in hospitals, in retirement homes, and even the suspected cases that had not been tested. Plus, we’re also only 11.5mil Belgians, foreigners included.
Week 6: The New Normal
The quarantine measures were extended further for more weeks, and rules had been changing quite often. We learned more about the coined term ‘social distancing’ that refers to people keeping their distance from each other, particularly 1.5m (6ft) apart.
At last, face masks were becoming a must, especially when visiting the shops. Face masks were hard to find, so as alcogels, disinfectants, and toilet papers. So, while everyone’s waiting for these to come available, the government initially sent out step-by-step instructions on how to sew face masks. Disinfectants and toilet papers were rationed in the supermarkets, where buyers were only allowed to buy 1 bottle of disinfectant or 2 medium-sized packs of toilet papers (4 rolls total).
The government was about to gather the resources needed to set up its contact tracing, while continually insisting on everyone to follow the prescribed social bubble rules. Contact tracing is the process of identifying persons who may have contact with an infected person and subsequently collecting further information about these contacts. Social bubbles on the other, offer an opportunity to socialize in proximity with a small group of people.
In a few countries like Sweden and Luxembourg, they are attempting herd immunity, which occurs when a high percentage of the community is immune to disease through vaccination or prior illness). In Belgium at this moment, just 6% of Belgians have been found with antibodies against the virus. At least half of the population is needed, thus this 6% implies it would take a long time to achieve herd immunity. For this week a few shops were allowed to open, such as garden shops and hardware stores. I heard that restaurants and other shops would follow soon. But all these shops and restaurants must strictly implement these corona rules.
Week 7: Kids & The Working Parents
“Mama, deze vakatie duurt zo lang (this vacation is taking so long),” my eldest girl finally blurted it out.
This quarantine that had been going on for over a month was starting to weigh hard on everyone at home. We were getting loads of work lately that I suddenly found myself in most strenuous situations at home.
As they were then feeling the brunt of this quarantine life, my kids started to demand more attention. My priorities towards them often got sidetracked as work demands kept coming. I also felt like house chores were just spitting out endlessly that I rarely found some downtime within the day. By nighttime I’d be super tired that I would sleep right away, but only to wake up in that same dreadful march all over again. Working from home (WFH, a newfound acronym created this 2020) has some perks that I really like, but not this situation; particularly when everyone was at home, home chores were piling up, and work expectations were becoming insanely a lot, and it went on and on for such a long time. That was it, I’m throwing in the towel.
Week 8: Breaking Down
Over the last weeks, I’ve been hearing and seeing many discussions on how this COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people both mentally and physically. Most likely on top of the challenges and worries that were already on the plate, the impact and the threats of this pandemic had created anxiety even more.
Particularly at times like this, everything is uncertain, and it is making me feel on edge. I found myself overwhelmed and anxious about all the changes and the risks surrounding us. I felt afraid to go out and meet other people. I worried a lot about my family. I was high-strung most of the time. I felt less motivated and perhaps my dad’s recent passing also triggered some existentialist thoughts. A lot of things needed to process…
I knew, deep inside, that I needed to let things go, reframe my thoughts, and redirect my energy, so I can carry on.
Week 9: Have a Break (it’s June)
I really needed to ease my nerves. So, I booked off, away from it all. It’s family first. And some self-care, too.
More and more shops and schools started to open; so as with some countries in Europe, to welcome summer tourists. Countries are in the race for the vaccine. Some signs of hope and return to some normalcy can be motivating enough.
If it wasn’t also for hubby’s constant coaxing, I would have continued in solitude and remained a hermit at home. So, in the last few days before summer vacation started, we sent our daughters back to kindergarten and daycare. We booked at the last minute for a weeklong staycation. We signed off and spent some quality time together as a family. It was rejuvenating. And yeah, spring cleaning and getting a facelift on this blog too, it did give me some much-needed boost.
It’s okay not to be okay.
Live day-by-day.
Worry less.
Be more mindful and aware.
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