Wear Mask, Wash Hands, Social Distance…Is this the New Normal?

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What can I say, these are uncertain times that all of us are learning to navigate one day at a time. It is sometimes surreal to think how much has changed and continues to change since the dawn of the new year.

We are back at school now, our health and safety demands that we wear masks all day, open all the windows and doors, remind students to wash their hands, sanitise desks, chairs and other things we touch in the classroom, as well as, social distance. It’s a lot and we are trying our best to have classes and educate our charges in the midst of all this.

I wonder how schools with classrooms at capacity will manage all of this when they reopen? It is hard to relax and have conversations with students and other members of staff like before. Social distancing is at the forefront of our minds. This is the new normal and it is exhausting to remember this day after day after day. It is quite easy to become paranoid at this time because it just feels like this invisible parasite is just lurking around at every turn.

We all know that the emphasis is on physical distancing but the term social distancing has taken root to describe this. It amazing how this term has become a part of the daily lingo and shows how a living language grows and stretches to accommodate words and expressions. We are reflecting on this in my classes and analysing how different posters are made using paralanguage and such. I like that we can discuss these kinds of things in my classes as we bring in current issues into our analysis of texts.

Wearing a mask in these hot humid climes is not fun at all. There is a lot of walking to be done to get from point A to B in this city. I often end up breathing hard through my mouth after a few minutes with beads of sweat bursting every which where. It is rough! I, however, try to pace myself literally and figuratively. I drink lots of water before leaving home each morning and throughout the day. It is important to replenish all the liquid that the mask helps me to sweat out. Phew!

Here we are almost halfway through 2020 and it seems like an unending rollercoaster. I am reminded daily to be thankful and treasure each moment of each day. There are many annoyances, tests and trials of course but there is much to be thankful for.

Each one of us need to think well about how to manage ourselves at this time and focus on this too. There are lots of heavy things happening. With this in mind, I carve out time on the weekend to stay in, relax, read a book and enjoy not having to wear a mask. This really helps me to go out and be my best on week days.

I pray we all keep well, in all aspects of our lives. Wear your mask, wash your hands well, social distance and feed your mind what keeps it healthy. For now, this is the new normal…

What am I Learning in these Uncertain Times?

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Life teaches us lessons, it is good when we learn these lessons and use them to improve ourselves in some ways.

I am pausing to think about what I am learning and jotting them down, so I can come back and dwell on these at a later time.

Rest, Cultivate Peace and Live in the Now

I am as busy as ever working online from home. It is a pretty hectic time and my days fly by. I am finding that keeping to a schedule each day is helping me to get enough sleep and order my days. In addition, I dress for work in comfortable clothes, don different earrings each day and put myself together. After all, I do interface with my students and other members of staff throughout the days.

I have also taken to being offline for much of the time on Saturdays and Sundays. It is quite nice to curl up on my couch with a good book, getting lost in something I enjoy. I also reserve certain chores for the weekend, that I would do in the same way when I went out for work.

I am enjoying living in the now and being ok with this. I am not planning crazily for a few weeks or months down the line because things aren’t clear. Notwithstanding this, I still have my dreams and I am keeping hope alive.

Stay on a Budget and Build the Emergency Fund

It is quite tempting to be shopping online and using this to pass the time. For me, it is just so easy to shop on Amazon or iherb and get the stuff I like and others that draw me in. Nope, I am not doing that. I am still living on my budget for each month and focusing on saving what I can to go into my emergency fund. We live in uncertain times and I fully expect some hard times ahead. Even us with jobs may face a pay cut at some point in the near future. It is best to save what we can now to prepare.

I chuckle at the fact that over the last 8 weeks I have worn the same two pairs of shoes: my sneakers to go out and exercise and my chucks to go to the grocery store (the latter because there are no laces to tie). Do I really need a bunch of shoes? Mmmm…

Embrace Change and take more Chances

I don’t like change, though I know it’s necessary for growth and provides many benefits. I do give into changes but not as enthusiastically as I would like. This is something I am working on improving in order to be a better me. The ability to embrace change actually helps with having a healthy mental state. I have to roll with the changes happening, adjust and thrive. I can’t control everything, so as a lifelong learner, it is in my best interest to change my mindset in this regard. I am working on this.

Enjoy ‘the Great Outdoors’

Thankfully, here in Japan we never had a tight lockdown, so I could go out each day for walks to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Of course, I was doing this while observing physical distance. There is just something about seeing the trees transition from blossoms to delicate green leaves, that remind you that you are alive. There is hope. Nature is doing its natural cycle even in the midst of the world grounding to a halt. I am always humbled and amazed.

I now go for long walks after dinner, all over the neighbourhood, to exercise, enjoy being out and about and take advantage of the freedom to move around in a way I had taken for granted. Also, sometimes I just stand on my balcony in the mornings and let the sun beam on my face. This is a simple pleasure.

Make Thankfulness a Daily Habit

I am thankful for all the precious people in my life, the moments we share, especially the everyday moments that shine brightest now. It’s nice to stop and write down things that I am thankful for each day. This gives me joy. This also helps me not to complain too much.

I am learning much more than the above but I am tired of typing, so I am going to run off to the supermarket to get my shopping for the week done. I am thankful to be able to do this oh so mundane task at this time. I am really thankful for all the people who work in the supply chains and the supermarket staff who show up to serve us in oh so many ways…

Will Travelling After this Pandemic Come with More Hassles?

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As these surreal days roll by I ponder what travelling post this pandemic will be like. It is already painful to get off a long 14 hr red eye flight to stand in lines for a few hours in transit.

Will we be pricked and prodded and at the mercy of rapid tests?

Will we have to pay even more to be packed into the not so comfortable economy seats to fly home to see family and friends?

Will travel blogging still be a thing especially for budget travellers?

Yea, I know all this is somewhat inconsequential in a world where people are losing jobs and facing increasing hardships. These are some things on my mind with everything else now.

reminiscing on my trip to Kuala Lumpur…

People will continue to travel I am sure. People are still travelling in the midst of this pandemic. Some travel for a living and others need to go from point A to B for important reasons. There are also still others who enjoying travelling for leisure and other such reasons.

I imagine wearing a mask onboard flights will be mandatory. Interestingly, this was en vogue for many East Asians since it helps to combat the dryness in the aircraft. Can I even handle wearing a mask for 14 hours on the flight from Japan to America then on to Jamaica?

One of the majestic castles in Japan from my jaunts around the country. How carefree were those times?

I am seeing news here and there about airlines planning to implement social distance practices on board. This suggests fewer passengers and with many airlines losing money hand over fist, I can imagine airfares will shoot up. While I can forego travelling for leisure to budget and save, I need to visit Jamaica to see family and friends, ideally once a year. I am a bit anxious about how much more this will cost, since flights are already going above $2,000 for a round trip in summer, in economy. Oh yeah and this means not getting any meals on the leg from America to Jamaica. Also, getting on the plane and having all the overhead compartments stuffed by those who got flight deals. Sigh!

So yea, I am waiting with bated breath to see how travelling cross-continentally tests my budget for one thing.

Looking out from the Peak in Hong Kong

Can you imagine being on a plane and having a coughing fit post this pandemic? Even when wearing a mask I know this will make the journey all that more uncomfortable? Will I just not eat anything for 14 hours? Drink no water? Gasp! That just won’t do.

I am already a nervous flyer, so I am already steeling myself for all the above.

There are lots of questions rolling around inside my head about how flying will change. I fly cross-continentally at least once a year, so this has been on my mind. I also think about how quickly tourists will want to or even afford to take vacations post the pandemic.

This may seem frivolous to some but there are many people who work in this industry and others connected to the industry.

As with many things, time will reveal how travelling will change post this pandemic. We have to learn to expect the unexpected, be flexible and learn to thrive in unchartered waters.

When the Supermarket Becomes the go-to Spot

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I was never excited about shopping at the supermarket and nothing has changed now. Why not just have your groceries delivered you ask. Well…

A supermarket is literally two minutes from my place.

Delivery options are not as widely available here as in other places.

I like picking out my own fruits and veggies.

This social distancing thing isn’t fully understood and practiced in supermarkets here I find. In the last week, markers have appeared on the floor showing how far apart to line up for the cashier. Two weeks ago, I ran out of one to get away from the swarms of people milling around and congregating in different sections. They were taking it ‘easy like Sunday morning.’ Supermarkets in Japan are often small with very narrow aisles. My paranoia was in activation mode.

I went to that supermarket, about 1km from my house at around 11:00a.m. It’s the one with a good variety of local and international products but I am on hiatus from there. They have some good avocados and mangoes there though 😦

In these times, I have developed vampire like tendencies. I exercise at nights when less people are out and stay home during the day. Oh what joy it was to discover that the supermarket nearby still opens until 10 p.m. I even went in to confirm it the night I walked by. Since, mostly families and older people live around this area, everything is quiet by around 9 p.m.

Do you know the luxury of going into a supermarket in these times and having it all to yourself? This was me the other night. At a round 9:30 p.m. I strolled into the supermarket decked out in my mask of course. There were like two other people in there. Oh the joy of taking my time to pick out things I went for; others that just called out to me (you know how that goes).

Though there is this upside, the downside is that quite a bit of the fresh veggies were all gone. I went to the baking aisle and they were all out of flour, vanilla and other stuff. Apparently, some influencer has been giving tips on baking goodies in these times, so it’s now trendy. I give it two weeks before this runs it course. In the same way the panic toilet paper buying ran its course a month or so again, this will happen too.

I like the lengths that supermarkets are going to in order to protect their workers. They are all wearing face shields with masks and at the cashier a nice firm piece of plastic separates them from the customers. Cash is still king here, so we do exchange money which of course can transfer the virus. Now scrubbing hands like crazy, washing my glasses and face are a part of the routine after returning home. It is often easier to just jump into the shower.

I am learning to content myself with the basics at the supermarket nearby. To be truthful, they have more than that but if you are a fan of certain things, in certain places, you may understand. I mean things like good cheese, mangoes, avocados, teas…

The problems of the privileged I tell you. I am able to buy food and I am grateful. I am learning to be content with my smaller supermarket with less people where I can shop at nights when less folks are there.

These are the times where I count my blessings even more and cultivate contentment.

What does this Single Woman living Alone do During Isolation?

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Let’s talk about Saturdays and Sundays when I don’t have to work online which helps time to fly…

I like schedules and keep to a loose one on both these days. I often stay up pretty late Friday nights and sleep in until 9:30 or so on Saturdays. I make some tea because I need this every morning to start moving. Then, I call home and talk to my dad and other family members religiously on Saturday mornings. We can catch up and talk about our stuff leisurely given our time difference.

We chat for a good while which means I am good and ready to eat after that, so I will make something like a smoothie followed up by a full on meal: sautéed veggies, brown rice with beans and avocado on the side. This is my ideal meal since I am mostly into eating plant based or pescatarian on occasion. Yum!

Next, I do my laundry while I delve into the scriptures and meditate on what I read. I have me some worship time at my own pace.

I will text friends throughout the day and may even have a live call with one of them, if we are both feeling this. For some reason texting is so much easier than talking on the phone. I have no idea why this is.

Sooner than later I go on my computer to spend hours on Twitter. It provides laughter, knowledge, drama and everything it has to draw me in and keep me scrolling. It is my number one app and I only use it on my computer, so that I can sit and enjoy it on a bigger screen. As a Jamaican living abroad, I like to see things trending at home and by following the right people I am more than able to do this. The Jamaican GIFs are undefeated. I follow people for financial info, current affairs, the news, teaching/topics in education, Christian inspiration and other things I can’t remember now. My feed is diverse and I follow and have followers from every continent. I like to know what is going on on the African continent, so I follow people from a range of countries. I learn so much and have many opportunities to LOL, tear up, shake my head in wonder/disbelief and so on.

After I have scrolled Twitter enough or it refuses to load anymore (keeping it real), I head on over to YouTube to see if there is anything I feel like watching. I am into people who post plant based meals these days, so I watch a few of those and get some ideas. I enjoy watching some people in the debt free community, family bloggers, worship channels and house hunting/renovation type videos. In the midst of all this watching and scrolling, I would have unloaded the washing machine and put my clothes to dry.

I may or may not cook again or make a salad, pop some corn and do a bit of prep for my classes. I wind down around 11 and head to bed by 12ish.

Come Sunday I am up at around 8 (I make my body do a practice run for Monday morning). I may lounge in bed on my phone before getting up to make my tea, read scriptures, meditate and pray.

Since I often do intermittent fasting, I don’t eat until around 11 or 12. What do I do until then you ask? Well, I run the vacuum, wipe my floors, pick out my clothes for the week (yes, I have a casual work from home uniform), text family and/or friends, do some exercises (I forgot to mention this above in my Saturday routine) and think about what I will make for lunch/dinner.

Throughout the days when I am home I try to do a number of reps where I stretch, do squats, leg lifts, run on the spot, do the butterfly, make up dances and do stuff to move my body. Yes, I balance being a couch potato with moving often throughout the day.

Ok, back to Sunday, at around 11:30, I start cooking, maybe its pasta, or brown rice, or sweet potatoes or quinoa (these are my bases) with a combination of veggies seasoned very well and a hint of cayenne thrown in. Yum! I eat and watch something on YouTube which may end up being an hour of video after video. I then talk to myself about getting offline and stretch out on my couch with a book. If it is a page turner, I will read until I finish it, even it is in the wee hours of the morning. Well, if I think it’s a page turner I will start it early enough to finish by 10pm. I still need to be alert to teach online the following day.

I forgot to say that I often go for walks in the nights at around 9 or 10 pm when most people are inside. I walk for about an hour to stretch my legs and get some more exercise. I have times when I stay in for days without going outside though. Like today is Monday and I have not gone outside since last Thursday. No, I am not bored or lonely. Growing up in an environment where we stayed at home mostly, makes this just right for me. When we were free to go and come without this poison in the air, I would still stay home some weekends. I would come home Friday evening and not go out again until Monday morning. I find this very refreshing actually.

I am on the cusp of getting an oven to spice up my culinary creations. Haha stoves don’t come with built in ovens in this country. They have fancy microwave ovens that work like other ovens. I want to get into baking veggies and my own desserts like carrot cake, banana cake, biscuits and so on. I feel like I don’t have enough space for it though, so it’s sitting in my Amazon basket until I make a decision. You would think I am tired of cooking for just me. Nope, I actually enjoy having a hot meal for lunch. Since I don’t microwave meals I don’t do this at work. I meal prep, cook and eat the same dish or dishes for three days then make something else. This means I don’t feel like I am cooking all the time. I also like overnight oatmeal jazzed up with nuts and coconut chips. This is often lunch with a smoothie.

Anyway I have gone off on a tangent. Let me end this here and I hope I have given you some ideas to enjoy the time you have at home. I sure am making the best of it.

Taking a Break from Being Online to Unwind (Self-care)

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I am grateful to be able to work online conducting my classes from Monday to Friday. This, however means that I am online looking at the computer screen far more than when I was teaching face-to-face. I go from scheduling classes on Webex/Zoom, to working on Google Classroom to doing live video lessons and meetings. Let’s not talk about the emails that flow like a river and inundate my gmail each day. It doesn’t help that I like to respond to them in a timely manner. This often produces a string of email threads…good times.

Two weeks in and I now know that it is absolutely essential for me to have a day of rest. One where I rest my eyes from this computer screen and one where I let the messages marinate for a while.

As a teacher working from home, who likes to go, go, go, I end up spending far too long each day, prepping, marking and doing all kind of stuff to make these lessons more engaging. Yep, it’s 10 pm and I just finished work for the day. Being single and living alone in this time of isolation is causing this. I have to be talking to myself to get offline. That’s why I am winding down by writing this post.

Yesterday, Sunday, I just kept the lid of my computer closed but I had to peek at my phone every now and then. It wasn’t work related though. I enjoyed a soothing day yesterday. It was rainy all day and not too hot or cold. I laid on my couch with a good book – ‘Pachinko’ and devoured it throughout the day. I also had music playing in the background ad enjoyed being in this shroud for the entire day. It was quite relaxing.

It was also perfect because I had leftovers, enough for two different meals plus fruits to snack on. I dived into the book, savoured my meals, basked in music and it was 10 pm and time for bed by the time I knew it.

Even though I am at home everyday now, I am still working on schedule as if I were in the classroom. The days fuse into one other and even weekends have become de facto working days, with all the work to be done before and after actual classes. I feel like teaching online requires more work before and after lessons. This is a topic for another post.

I will also give myself one or two nights to be offline to read and enjoy books in my stack. I had the foresight to borrow books from the library at school, so they are good old paperbacks. I have been making a dent in my stack and have just two books left of the 6 I started off with 3 weeks ago. I will move on to those on my Kindle after this. No, Kindle doesn’t technically have a screen because of how it is designed.

Let me go offline now because I have been on for far too long today.

Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) are Still on Show in Japan

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It is amazing how spring has come with the cherry blossoms in full bloom, on schedule and they are doing what they do every year. In Japan, sakura trees are everywhere and can be enjoyed when they bloom in spring, by just strolling down a street or looking out our windows in many cases.

The wonder of sakura trees in full blossom never ceases year after year. Your nose could be running and your eyes itching with crazy spring allergies, however, you can still enjoy the perfection that are these blossoms.

circa spring 2019, pretty as a picture ain’t it

I am sharing these pictures that I took one idyllic spring day last year as we strolled around Chidorigafuchi, one of the most scenic spots in Tokyo. It’s nice to think back on that day: people boating, some having hanami (picnic under the cherry blossoms) and pushing against too many people to get around. It seems like another world but these pictures bear testament to this other reality.

The cherry blossoms are here this year like always. This year I am enjoying them on my way to the the supermarket or on my daily walk to stretch my legs. They are just as beautiful and especially soothing this year.

One day, I stopped in awe of the beauty of creation, when I saw the beautiful and oh so delicate and fluffy pink blossoms, with the clear blue sky in the background. I can enjoy these little things now when everything feels heavy and uncertain. We don’t need to look very far to enjoy and appreciate some of the simple beauties in life.

I am grateful I can go outside and enjoy what is on display, even while wearing a mask and not knowing when true freedom of movement will return.

So, I hope you can look at these snapshots and be drawn into the beauty they represent, to have even a small period of respite from what is going on around us.

Stay well. Stay safe. Stay home if you don’t need to be out and about.

Make the Most of Financial Literacy Month

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Come to find out, April is financial literacy month. Since the world has slowed down and we may have more time on our hands, we can spend some time becoming more financially literate. Knowledge is power as cliche as this is.

To me, financial literacy means learning about how to manage what I earn well. It means being intentional about my money by planning for it using a balanced and realistic budget. Financial literacy also involves learning about how to manage your money, to spend it wisely and also to save and invest it with discipline. Developing literacy of any kind requires sustained work, the building of good habits through practice and using what is learnt to strengthen this.

We prioritise literacy – the ability to read and write well, as well as, the knowledge to do this in different contexts. We should also do this with financial literacy. Parents should teach their kids and it should be taught in schools. We should also seek how materials to help us learn more and improve this knowledge.

How to Start on the Road to Developing Financial Literacy

Be inquisitive. Search on Google. Search on Twitter and YouTube as well as other platforms. We all know that once we search for something Google starts throwing it in our faces again and again. Use it in your favour.

Check the different platforms like Coursera where universities offer free courses. You might be able to learn about basic accounting or something to aid in your financial literacy. Come out of this time with knowledge to help better manage your money, so you can save and have a solid emergency fund for hard times to come. As we see now, hard times do come and like now may mean job loss, income stagnation or some other financial hardship. Learn how to plan well and give yourself any kind of buffer you can.

Why Financial Literacy is Important for All of Us

On my financial literacy journey, so far, I have learnt the importance of being disciplined and managing my money so I can save. There are all kinds of popular sayings to make us want to spend what we earn and more. We often hear to work hard and play hard. If you work for it, it’s yours to spend as you please and some even believe it’s normal to have debt.

Financial advisors exist for a reason. The good ones help to guide people to healthy financial lives. We may not all have one but we can seek out information and learn.

Financial literacy goes beyond being able to read and write. We aren’t all naturally able to manage our money, talents and resources. How do you know how to monetise your ideas, skills and the like? How do we know how to negotiate for a better salary, mortgages etc? We have to learn about specific industries that interests us, know how to read different financial reports to a degree and make necessary decisions intentionally.

At some stage we will all retire. How do we plan for this? A bit of financial literacy is important and goes a long way to helping us prepare and plan for this. It is a major key to enjoying retirement. We are never too young to start planning for retirement.

In this financial literacy month, start searching and developing knowledge. Become more financially literate and enrich your life in the process.

Laughter is Always Good Medicine

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Laugh a lot.

Laugh often and out loud, those nice belly laughs.

Find things that make you laugh and brings mirth in what feels like a mirthless time.

I enjoy scrolling on Twitter and seeing memes and just comments where people bring humour to all kinda things. I pause to laugh and let it feed my soul because it feels good and it’s important.

There are also some good videos going around on Facebook with parents lamenting about how hard it is to teach their kids and be with them all day. LOL! They are hilarious! I am glad that people can take their frustrating experiences and provide laughter for themselves and others.

Laughter is always good medicine.

Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself because that is needed sometimes.

Plug into some of these memes, GIFS and things of that sort that create a light atmosphere where you can laugh. Balance out the doom and gloom with some of this to keep your mind healthy.

Kids are pretty funny, so if you have them around I am sure you are laughing a lot and doing do often.

This is my PSA. Remember to laugh sometimes through the seemingly endless , heavy and uncertain times of 2020…so far.

Tips to Ward Off Boredom if Your Area Locks Down (Especially those of us who live Alone)

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  • While you still have your freedom, stay home an entire weekend to get a taste of what this will be like for days or weeks.
  • Plan for it – Get whatever you need to make your place an oasis. Think of exercises you can do in your space to be active. Make a meal plan with enough variation to satisfy your tastes.
  • Make different meals. Try different recipes, hence the planning mentioned above. Try baking different things, making pasta from scratch or dishes that are more intricate.
  • Read. Journal. Paint and/or draw. Blog. Vlog. Write a book. Compose songs.
  • Take dance breaks.
  • Clean from top to bottom. Organise stuff. Take naps.
  • Have spa days.
  • Have daily video chats with friends and family.
  • Immerse yourself with positive thoughts.
  • Pray.
  • Spend quality time reading the Bible.
  • Work on your budget. Learn more about personal finance and so on.
  • Knit. Crochet. Sew. Mend what needs mending.
  • Keep a gratitude list and update it weekly.
  • Do free online courses. Google and have at it.
  • If you work from home, mix it up, so it doesn’t become monotonous.
  • If you have a balcony or space indoor, plant something and nurture it.
  • Please add to the list…