Submitted by Amora from the Singapore American School in Singapore.
Living in an Asian country, we were hit by the Meteoroid that is COVID-2019 long before it was routinely covered on News channels in the West.
Ever since, life has not been the same.
From limited precautions in January to more stringent measures, we have now entered a full “circuit breaker” stage (almost a lockdown) to match the escalating cases in Singapore and worldwide. This entails the shutting down of all schools and non-essential establishments up to May 4th of this year. School is now online, which is honestly not the worst thing in the current circumstances. I am involved in a lot of Service, and I am thankful that we have come up with inventive ways to continue to participate and support our initiatives.
It’s been fun to take a break from all of my classes and my extra-curricular activities. I have more time to focus on myself and build my skills. I finally have time to start taking some additional online courses during the school year. My love for books has always been paramount, and I have never gotten as much time to read before during the school semester. Learning to connect with my friends in imaginative and creative ways has been fun. We continue to socialize and entertain in ways we would have never considered before. I have now also assumed the role of “Baker” in my family, and I keep looking for Instagrammable recipes to attempt.
However, COVID-2019 times are disappointing too. As a theatre kid, it was extremely heart-breaking to find out that Dance Shows and the Theatre Festival has been canceled (especially as it would be my first high school experience). I do understand, that these measures were taken in accordance with the safety of our community. We all understand the importance of staying at home, and breaking “this circuit”. I have been learning new Dance tricks like the “Tilt Jump” and “Triple Pirrouettes” and have been doing a lot of strength and conditioning. It is vital to stay fit and exercise, and my sister and I try to do different workouts from YouTube daily. We even attempted the “Yoga Challenge” today!
This has also been a humbling experience. I now recognize that I am blessed to stay indoors with all comforts which include unlimited access to technology. I have understood that it is essential for everyone to follow and trust their respective Country guidelines, and take responsibility globally, as we are all interconnected in a worldwide community.
Let’s stay positive, and face these adversities with a smile :)
Amora :)