SHN Quarantine: Day 1

Who in their right mind chooses to travel now? Who in their right mind, willingly agrees to enclose themselves in a sealed-up room for 15 days?

Apparently, me.

UK’s second lockdown got to me. The news was depressing. The weather was depressing. At least the first lockdown had a bit of a ‘new lover’ vibe going for it. But now, the lockdown felt like an old, dull boyfriend that you knew you wanted to get rid off but couldn’t.

I saw my family in Singapore making plans for Christmas. My Singaporean friends going about their lives as per normal and something in me snapped. I booked my tickets. And now, I am holed up at Carlton Hotel. [Shout out to my Carlton homies].

At first, it felt like quite an adventure. Sitting on the bus, wondering which hotel you were assigned to.

Omg, omg. I see MBS. I’m going to MBS. God loves me. I’m loving this. I’m going to video the crap out of the room and post it on insta and make everyone jealous. Will there be a bathtub? Omg, I could work from the bathtub. Thank you god. thank you. Wait, uncle where are you going? You are taking the wrong turn …”

Oh well.

To all future quarantines, here’s a pro tip. I know you are jet-lagged and tired but leaving one suitcase by the lift lobby to collect after you get the first one through the the room is not a good idea.

For one, someone could sneak off with your luggage filled with panetonne and Waitrose shortbread biscuits you bought your parents. And secondly, you are not on a holiday. You are in quarantine. And the whole point of a quarantine is that you are only ever meant to enter your room once and not leave it. Which was made abundantly clear as I dragged my second luggage to my room door and couldn’t open it again. So I had to go all the way down again much to the consternation of the staff.

“Ma’am, please stay in your room. You are not supposed to leave your room.”

“I know. I know,” I wave my room card wildly in the air, hoping to calm them down. “I locked myself out.” What did they think I was doing? Heading to the pool with my luggage and winter coat?

Slight snafu later, I enter my room. This is it. Somehow I’m going to have to spend the next 15 days in this square space. I know I should ponder the significance of this. But jet lag calls. I shower and decide to give in to the drowsiness. After all, I have 15 days for all leisurely ponderments (yes, I know this is not a word. Sue me.)

My mum calls in the morning. What’s for breakfast?

I’m having multiple daily Forest Gump moments. Every meal time feels like “you just never know what you are going to get.” I peep into the box. It’s nasi lemak!!! Having been on a breakfast diet of porridge (oats) and toast for the past couple of months, the sight of the lurid, green rice is enough to make me weep in joy. My mum can’t believe it either.

“Maybe we can do an exchange? You come to the house and I do the quarantine for you. I need a holiday.” Maybe I can wave my room key wildly again and broach this idea with the reception staff?

My brother drops off some old Straits Times. A headline from an OCBC ad catches my eye.

2 of out 3 Singaporeans have put aside today’s fun for tomorrow’s security.

For the rest of the day, I can’t shake off this headline. I keep thinking about the 1 out of 3 Singaporeans. Do they not care about their security. Are they already secure? Are they setting aside something other than fun? I wonder how much fun they are having today.

Sitting at the desk, facing Raffles City, I am so jealous of this group. I don’t want to put aside my fun. I want my fun now!

But there’s 15 more days.

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

– excerpt from Robert Frost poem. Stopping by Woods on a snowy evening