THIS IS HOW YOU PANDEMIC - DAY 04

Y’all… IT’S ONLY DAY04. Why do I feel like I’ve been living in this room my whole life?

Honestly, I don’t know why I started this blog. Did I think something new and different was going to happen everyday to warrant documenting? That being said, I appreciate you coming here and reading my ramblings. I guess it does make it less lonely.

Ok. Day 04’s meal game is not great. We started the day with… chicken nugs and a fish sandwich from MOS BURGER. It’s a Japanese burger chain that’s very popular in Taiwan and is actually known for their rice patty burgers

Rice patty burgers from MOS BURGER

Rice patty burgers from MOS BURGER

 
Chicken nuggets and fish sandwich for breakfast?

Chicken nuggets and fish sandwich for breakfast?

 

which I actually wouldn’t mind having for breakfast, but nooooo, the hotel chose the fish fillet sandwich and nugs for breakfast? So I threw in some yogurt and orange slices.

Yogurt from PX Mart purchased through OFY GO BUY.

Yogurt from PX Mart purchased through OFY GO BUY.

 

Ok. I should stop complaining. These are all first world problems coming from someone safely quarantining in a hotel room with meals and anything I wanted delivered to my door. Shame on me.

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I also learned that there’s catch22 in trying to fix my jetlag. I’ve been getting up around 4/5am the past few days and was able to eat breakfast, which is delivered around 6/6:30am, while it’s hot. However, today I woke up around 2am, putzed around a bit, fell back asleep around 5 and woke up at 8am. By that time, the nugs and sandwich were both cold and bleh. So in order to have breakfast while it’s hot, I really should be getting up at 6am. But I’m also trying to stay up as long as I can so that I’m tired enough to sleep through the night. Humans are weird.

Lunch was Hainan chicken rice with papaya salad and chicken soup. Hainan chicken rice is poached chicken with rice that’s cooked IN THE chicken broth. It’s very popular in Singapore, and though it sounds like a pretty simple dish, I’ve yet to make one that’s up to par. The Hainan chicken from lunch today was… 6/10?

Hainan chicken rice with papaya salad and chicken soup.

Hainan chicken rice with papaya salad and chicken soup.

 

Post lunch, I did some people watching from my 8th floor window. The sun peeked out for a brief moment and that was nice. It’s been rainy and chilly this whole time so it was nice to see some sunshine. Three things to share from peering out into the world: 1) Despite having no local transmission of COVID for 200+ days, some people still wear masks, even when outside and not in the designated places where masks are mandatory. And as far as I can see, I don’t think anyone’s freedom is being trampled, nor did it hinder any everyday activities; hailing a cab, buying fruit, running to catch the bus, waiting annoyingly for someone to pick you up. I saw people doing all those things with their masks on. Go figure. It reminds me how much I took for granted the “common sense” that the well-being of everyone as a whole benefits one’s individual self.

People here still wearing masks, even outdoors, despite having one of the lowest # of COVID cases in Asia and 200+ days of non local transmission.

People here still wearing masks, even outdoors, despite having one of the lowest # of COVID cases in Asia and 200+ days of non local transmission.

 

2) The art of scooter parking. This is something I can’t believe I’m going to say that I miss. As you can see, the scooter parking lines are more of an “overall guide.” As long as you can fit your scooter inside of the general box, the po-po’s usually let it slide. So oftentimes, especially downtown where parking spaces are a premium, there’s an art to how to fit your scooter into the designated space. I remember having to move entire rows of scooters down just to gain a few centimeters to barely squeeze my scooter in the box. The trick is not to be the one on the end.

As you can see, there are roughly 438 scooters fitting inside about 15 spaces. STILL, notice how NO ONE is parked in the handicapped spot? Mmm… maybe one is barely in it.

As you can see, there are roughly 438 scooters fitting inside about 15 spaces. STILL, notice how NO ONE is parked in the handicapped spot? Mmm… maybe one is barely in it.

 

3) I realized today the location of my hotel is just a couple blocks down from the movie theater where I used to go every weekend in middle school. I didn’t recognize the area at first because I don’t remember the trees, but then I remembered the park next to the theater was just being built back then and all the trees planted there were just saplings. And now, it’s a fully grown tiny oasis! God, I’m old.

Red arrow is where the theater is . And oh how convenient! There’s also a MOS Burger right across from us that I get to stare at everyday.

Red arrow is where the theater is . And oh how convenient! There’s also a MOS Burger right across from us that I get to stare at everyday.

 

Dinner was 便當 from boss hotel again. Noodles with barbecued duck and pork, yummy veggies with mushrooms, cashew chicken, and some pickled veggies.

 

Post dinner I felt kind of schlubby so I looked up more workouts to do. Finding cardio workout that one can do in this space without banging my legs against something is a challenge. So is stretching on the floor, as there is not much space for the extending of the arms. Any recommendation is welcomed.

These three items are my only hope of walking out of this room after 14 days, as opposed to rolling out of the room.

These three items are my only hope of walking out of this room after 14 days, as opposed to rolling out of the room.

 

Welp, this has been a nostalgic post. Sorry if most of you found it absolutely boring. Maybe you’re just here for the food pics? If so, sorry about that too; it’s nothing fancy, just your everyday-Jo quarantine foods. However, I am strongly thinking about ordering some stinky tofu soon. The craving is too strong. We’ll see how that goes.