Covid-19 Update
A necessary foreward:
First and foremost - thank you to all the essential workers for doing what you do in the face of the pandemic. To the healthcare workers, grocery workers, delivery people, infrastructure maintainers, and all those in the food supply chain - thank you! Also, thank you to the public servants who are navigating the community through this crisis.
I also want to acknowledge how fortunate and privileged we are. Through all the travel and interactions with people, we are healthy. Financially, we had already planned to take time off and thus were prepared for the lack of income. We recognize that there are many who are not in the same position. There are many suffering medically, economically, and or emotionally - and our hearts go out to them. Please let us know if you are impacted, and we promise to do what we can.
Lastly, to those who have been merely inconvenienced. You have my sympathies as well.
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Our original plans were to spend early March in China. That was scuttled, and instead we made a mid-Pacific stop in Hawaii instead. Then, we planned to attend a Bay Area wedding before going off to Europe. Neither of those happened.
This pandemic has literally grounded us. We are currently back at home. For better and worse, we arrived just in time for the Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order to be in effect. It’s reassuring to be with our families, yet scary to have landed right before the outbreak locally[1]. I truly did not feel the impact of COVID-19, until the pandemic hit home. Now, I have often used the phrase “hit home” figuratively, and never truly felt the meaning behind it until now when I meant it literally. The pandemic is here in the Bay and has changed life as we know it.
Thankfully, we are safe and bunkered down.
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Some notes on our experience traveling through Asia during the pandemic:
We were lucky. While we were in Asia, the pandemic did not impact too much. It was not serious enough at the time for mass quarantine. We knew the virus was spreading, and wore masks at the airport. But aside from that, travel was pretty normal. Only towards mid-February did sensitivity increase. When we were in Vietnam, we noticed posters that encouraged proper hygiene. We even saw hand sanitizers with anti-coronavirus labeling! Perhaps the most drastic action we experienced was one restaurant that stated it would not serve Chinese customers. (Note: there is a sizable Chinese population in Vietnam.) It was a popular restaurant with tourists, and luckily we were able to be seated. Not sure if they could tell we were American or thought we were Vietnamese, or simply did not enforce their policy. Either way, we were able to enjoy one of the best meals of the trip.
Things were different after we left. As the pandemic spread, countries went into lockdown. As of the time of this writing, AKA Thailand (the muay thai gym we trained at for a month) has closed operations. Cambodia’s tourist economy has completely dried up. Vietnam has just started to ease restrictions. All things considered, the countries we visited have handled the pandemic well. And truly, Taiwan is a leading example of how to respond to an epidemic.
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So what have we been up to?
Theoretically, the lack of travel would give us plenty of time to blog and document the rest of our Asia trip. Truthfully, the blog momentum stopped once the travel stopped. The mindset shifted away from travel and the travel blog. (Don’t worry, though. We haven’t forgotten, and at some point we will wrap up with some posts on Central and South Vietnam, and Hawaii.)
We have in other ways, been following through with our purpose - catching dreams.
Cathy’s update -
What would you do if you had all the time in the world and nowhere to go? This question confronted me as our bombastic 2020 travels were canceled and we ended up stranded at home.
For me, the answer came from my earliest passion -- making art. I was always a low-key art kid growing up, and I’ve also worked as a professional caricaturist since 16, drawing live at events. But everyone (myself included) viewed it as just a hobby. These days, it’s practically the only thing I feel like doing. So during this period, with all the time in the world, I’d like to see how far I can push myself artistically. I’ve been diving really deep into art.
My typical day starts with yoga, then goes into a full day of painting and drawing in my “studio” (a.k.a. a corner of my parent’s living room). On a good day, I complete 3 original paintings start to finish, and also practice technical drills in the evening. I share my favorites to Instagram @bycatx.
The days are rounded out with daily walks, weekly Netflix parties, and down-sizing/selling the unloveds of my closet on eBay and PoshMark.
Allen’s update -
My days are divided between a variety of focus points - exercising, reading, personal projects, and professional development.
A lifetime goal of mine is to get a six pack. So I’m working on that. And you know, I’ve always thought that if my job was to get in shape (like some movie stars are), that I could get buff. Now there’s no excuses and I’m putting my body to the test. It’s a priority, and that’s what I’m doing. A month and a half later - I’m about 9 lbs lighter and can do 70 burpees in a row. (Started at 18, so it’s definitely a huge improvement.)
My 2020 resolution was to read a book a week. Currently at 8 books, so that’s woefully behind, but no worries. Will catch up once I shift more towards pageturners.
Like many in the Valley (and the world), I dream up startup ideas. There’s been one particular idea that has stuck in my mind for years now. So I figure the wantrepreneur in me might as well produce a proof of concept. It is a good way to learn some skills and understand more about “tech”. Already, I have a greater appreciation in the amount of thought that goes into UX/UI.
On the professional front, I am freshening up on my skills. The world of data is constantly evolving and it’s hard to keep up with the latest techniques while working a demanding full time job. So I’m enjoying the time and space to give education more attention.
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OK - now you may be wondering what is going to happen to this website.
We’re going to keep it going. We’ll continue to share our thoughts and perspectives, just on different topics. Less about travel. More local flavor, more lifestyle... Still catching dreams.
If you want to keep up with the latest updates - sign up for our mailing list below!
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Footnote:
[1] At first, I considered our situation ironic. We left Asia and returned to the U.S. We went from being in developing countries close to the initial outbreak, then returned to the most advanced country on the other side of the planet. However, reality is sobering. Our country has turned out to be facing one of the most dire situations. It really pierces through the emperor’s clothes that is American exceptionalism. We are no better, and in fact worse than many other countries. Still, I do have confidence we will get through this, and become better. We have to.
