3 Weeks Post Lockdown
3 weeks into the New Normal and we're feeling... tired.
We've also noticed some things other than the fact that the wrong mask can ruin your day.
Most things are open now, with more opening up every week. Even theaters will be open within a few days. I feel like I should get back to sight seeing in Singapore, but also that I should just stay home away from any sickness. We still have quite a few community cases (from 10-30 daily), with most new cases being people who were already in quarantine as a precaution due to having a close contact test positive.
Everywhere has limited their capacity (malls, restaurants, shops, etc.) so most attractions require a reservation, and planning a head is not my strong suit. I am realizing that on a weekday I can probably make a reservation and go right then, but the reservation system is a bit of a hindrance. Even with the capacity caps, the crowds feel like crowds to us again (The picture above was a Sunday afternoon in the mall. It wasn't at capacity when we entered the mall at that point).
Going out is tiring. Remembering your mask, sanitizing hands constantly, popping into the bathroom to wash hands every chance you get. Trying to make yourself understood when you're muffled by a mask and they're muffled by a mask. Standing farther apart than you normally would. Wondering if someone is standing too close. Wondering you've been together too long which increases the chance of catching COVID-19. Counting to 5 (as in "Hello", you just stopped to say hi to me, and I want to chat with you, but I'm a party of 4 and you're a party of 3, and therefore, we are REALLY breaking the maximum party of 5 rule in Singapore. How do I even say this to someone in a socially appropriate way?)
Only 5 people are allowed out in a group in Singapore, and groups are not allowed to interact. This is really challenging when we go to the pool on the weekend. If the 5 of us go, we can't talk to anyone, but other people and other kids do talk to us, and kids of course start to play together. We tried splitting up with the kids, but the little ones forget and run over to the other parent group. Even MsC at 8 finds splitting up stressful.
Friends invited us for a drink by the pool one night, and I had to say no, because I couldn't figure out how to make the numbers work. The government does check on private property too to ensure the rules are being followed.
Kids around here are having a bit of a hard time figuring how to play together again.
The gaggle of girls has broken up a bit. They're been playing together one-on-one instead of as a groups. We're not sure if we should be interacting with too many households, although we haven't been told not to. The playground was their happy place before. Now all the kids around here seem to find outside a bit stressful - so many rules, not as many kids, broken routines, and they're all really more comfortable inside at the moment.
The playground was very busy for the first couple of days after they opened up playgrounds, but now they're very quiet, even at the busiest time right before dinner. Kids just can't seem to figure out what to play outside right now. With the pool on the other hand, everyone is fine in the pool. We are back to our morning swims at the pool though. We're usually the only people there on weekdays, with maybe one other family. We try to go every morning.
MsI was told to stay arms length away for months and now if someone pops up near her on the playground she stops, shies away or even runs in the opposite direction. She just looks at them, and blinks wide-eyed if some one says, "Can I play with you?"
"Can I play?" has become a weird question. Maybe? Are we already 5? Is our 5th party on their way to the playground? "Can I play with their toy?" I don't know. Maybe? Better not...Germs. I hear kids ask, "Can I hug you?" and most of the time the other kid now says, "No."
MsI is the only person who will go anywhere near the Boardwalk. We walked it too many times during Lock-Down. Everyone walked it too much; hardly any people are on it at the moment, and the ones who are are taking pictures, so they probably don't live in this neighbourhood.
MsC's best friend has been coming over alone since the first moment she could. I'm glad the kids can have someone over, but, I've been missing my adult friends. I finally realized that I can invite Mom friends to our house with their kids. That would be too many people outside, but in the home is allowed. We've had a couple play dates in our house, but the kids are a little weird about other people touching their things at the moment and Jonathan is working in the bedroom, so I'm conscious about how loud we become.
It's going to take us a while to figure out a new routine, and how to do everything in this new normal. On the other hand I can get almost everything I need through online grocery shopping again.