Maintaining a positive attitude is important for one’s mental well-being. My cynicism towards, “Gated Communities,” once described them as, “Golden Prisons.” How ironic those words appear now. Today the weather is foul, hard rain from the south: The window is a blur of gushing water; Lei Kou Chai Dian Hong tea, with a delightful orchid […]

Read More

We cannot get out! There is no test; The women shop the men talk; the fallen leaves are collected; a stray cat does it’s thing; I use a pound of cabbage and some carrot to fill the crock; sauerkraut is on its way; at least the bones of several roasted chickens make it to the […]

Read More

The Lockdown drags on. WE should have been clear by now. Our initial reason for lockdown has been done and dusted, yet all around us in the greater community there are positive tests arising, The whole township has gone into Epidemic Prevention Control.

Read More

Today is the 2nd day of a 2+2 compulsory curfew. The people are asking, “can we go out tomorrow?” They hope they can, but forget we must await the results of this current round of tests. The weather is better: The gate is closed; Children need attention; They gather to watch, there is nothing else […]

Read More

Today is the last NAT Day of the original quarantine period, or Day 4 of the 48hr Curfew — Confusion reigns. Apparently we are slated for a second 48hr Curfew, with testing. The lack of Informed authoritative communication to the public is quite compelling. Some people in the line were angry and frustrated. From the […]

Read More

Day 3 of the 48hr Curfew: The chat group was full of desperate messages people wanting to know why they cannot leave the compound. All I kept hearing in the residents and Owners Wechat Group was, “We cannot get out…” Tolkein came to mind, so I rewrote: “The Last Page of The Book of Marzabul…” […]

Read More

Day 2 of 48hr Curfew: The police no longer guard the gate; But, one stairwell of apartments are in extra Quarantine; The playground NAT tent is in disarray, even as the children play; A father takes his daughter for a walk; The playground is supervised; Garbage disposal is back under control; The shop’s kiddie-ride is […]

Read More

They said that from 00:00 a 48h Curfew would begin: (No going outside into the broader community.) Just before the curfew deadline, I went out to see them set up… There was no one there… The empty shed glows red and ominous in the dark; The gate is unmanned. In the light of the morning, […]

Read More

The sky, weeps with the tears of the Earth, for it knows we will be in Lockdown… again.  Today, would be Day 10 of our initial lockdown — we were released! But, we were told we would still need to do the initial Day 14 NAT – seemed like a fair deal to me. However, […]

Read More