inklingfair I feel like I missed my train into the new year and I’m just getting settled in for a long, chaotic wait at the station. Here’s the situation: after a model week of gingerly celebrating Christmas and half a week of the staff on holiday, one comes back promptly testing positive for COVID and another is down with a fever. We’ve kept masks on the whole time, but today Josh, I, and our housekeeper are getting tested. We’ve advised everyone to stay home until we’ve got results, and whatever they are, we’re keeping ourselves isolated because omicron’s around already.
Meanwhile, I’m spending today warming up the engines to get back into the grind. Leni thoughtfully sent a message to all to “do a slow burn this week” – I wish I could say the same for everyone. So many people are down with flu-like symptoms which would be par for the course before the pandemic, but here we are, anxious and trying hard not to panic-buy paracetamol.
Still, there was a window of bright things to be grateful for last December. We had a lovely birthday week (including Ate Ning’s), which consisted of a rainbow cake and a rose gold birthday sign; Daniel’s first trip to the dentist (which in retrospect I’m glad we scheduled with the exponential post-holiday cases); real jjajangmyeon from Luis; and a flurry of final Christmas gift Tetris.
On my birthday, Josh and I paid a visit to Leni’s wood-haven home with the DAKILA people and got antigen tests before taking off our masks for lunch. A few days later I cycled to La Creperie to meet Human Nature work-mates, then to Steveston to brainstorm with Diane and Sarah. Josh biked over afterwards for pizza margherita and a quick date before we cycled home together.
We spent time on Christmas eve with Josh’s side of the family and the next morning, we had the family procession to Bethlehem. At noon we set out with Amy so she could ride the Corinthian Gardens’ kiddie trains (the sole passenger for that morning). We took the children to Pat and Ranz’s village playground the next day, and because it was just after a rain shower, no one else was around save for a couple with a toddler and someone walking two beagles.
The nativity play had to be abridged and shown on video, but Amy was able to meet the Magi, hand in her letter (she asked for a “surprise” and for the coronavirus to be over), and get a bag of treats from Gaspar (“the red king”). She got a dollhouse building kit with a swing set, slide, roof deck pool, and a bike-pulled cart the next day and we watched the Twoset Violin virtual concert the following night. The meet and greet was after new year’s day, and Amy gamely played the first couple of measures of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for Brett and Eddy on her kalimba. They extended for another minute to let Amy ask her time travel question, and though I wish I could have used the Ling Ling 40 Hours clock and bubble tea to ask how they balance their art with the business side of TSV, I’m happy Amy got to chat with them.
It wasn’t quite 2019 but it was much better than 2020. We’ve adjusted to masks and ventilation and swabbing, we’re vaccinated, we’ve washed and sanitized countless times. We still haven’t gone home to my side of the family, but Tatay’s retiring in March and might visit in the summer with Nanay, when we’ve already moved to the new place and have a guest room for them. I might start my thick desire project this year. Josh and I might go on a road trip for a week.
They might not happen, but if Rain and Hee-chul got their On The Road x mukbang special in the middle of a pandemic, hey, anything is possible.
[…] family outside our household, and Bataan with Josh, our first overnight trip as a couple since 2019.Going to the dentist and meeting up face to face with work colleagues for the first time in over a […]