Stay Home Notice - a unique experience

There I was, sitting in a quite luxurious, although not very spacious, hotel room at downtown Singapore, with a nice view.
After a comfortable flight from Zurich – the three economy passengers were all upgraded for free into business class– I felt quite relaxed. What should I do next? With 14 seemingly endless days ahead of me where I am not allowed to take even a footstep outside the room. As an outdoors person who loves moving around in fresh air, this seemed quite challenging.

I unpacked my laptop, some books - including one by Dalai Lama (to find my inner peace if needed), and my pencils. Luckily, there was enough space to roll out my Yoga mat, between the toilet and the lavatory.

I spent the rest of the day working, making some calls with friends and family, and finally subscribing to Netflix. The first day passes very quickly. The meals are delivered punctually like Swiss clocks and I started to really like Chinese / Singaporean cuisine. The rustling of the plastic while the boxes were placed outside on a tray were the only signs of living human beings for the next two weeks.

I decided to consider the situation as a unique chance: I could do whatever I want, no obligations, nothing asked from me besides delivering work and reporting my health status three times a day to the MOH. I introduced a routine: breakfast, work, 30 minutes of exercise, lunch, work, 30 minutes of exercise, dinner, and then whatever I wanted. Most of the times I felt quite well.

I make a unilateral friend: a black cat was strolling once in a while over at the court of the adjacent condo. It seems that we share a certain loneliness. Highlights are the daily calls from the MOM and the wellness team of the hotel. The friendly voices give me the feeling that somebody really cares and made me wonder who the person is behind.

A dumpishness overcame me on Saturday. I had a very long and lonely weekend ahead, but it finally passed. There is still more than a week to go. Days become routine, time almost flies. I discover some excellent series on Netflix (e.g. “the Queens Gambit”, “The Crown”). My passion for movies got rewarded while my books remained mostly untouched. And I discover an amazing variety of online fitness videos.

Day 10 was a highlight when the COVID- test took place outside for half an hour. I finally could get some fresh air and sunshine! I had a big relief on day 15, noon sharp: I was escorted out, back to freedom! The first thing I did was to have a Cappuccino. It feels nice and strange to be among real human beings, instead of just watching them from behind a window.

What is my personal take home message? The overall experience was much better than anticipated. A good practical and mental preparation definitely helps. In a certain way, I admire Singapore for the rigidness and stringency with which they handle potentially infected immigrants. Seems to be the only way to keep the virus out.

But I am glad that it’s over and I am back in real life!