Hello, stranger

For the first time since the pandemic started, someone I personally know tested positive for COVID in Shanghai. That gives you an idea of how much of a bubble we've been living in since 2020. This means I am now pet-sitting a dog and a cat. On top of my 2 cats and my boyfriend's kitten, that's... A lot of dependents lol Most quarantine hotels can't accommodate pets, and there aren't clear protocols on pet care (or housing or employment protection) for those who test positive,

Our whole compound tested negative and lockdown was *gently* lifted as scheduled at 6 p.m. today. I say gently because we were still encouraged to limit outings as much as possible. There's been lots of what I've come to refer to as "the COVID cranky's," just people being generally anxious and irritated. Lots of online spats and pandemic shaming. How dare they go out for St. Patrick's Day!? We're all on lockdown here! / Why can't they be CLEAR about when we're going to be sta

OK, here we go again. There are a few hundred cases in Shanghai and the city is on lockdown lite. Or as I like to call it, rolling lockdown. I'm currently on hour 23 of a 48-hour stay-at-home order, and got tested for COVID last night at 11:30pm (for free, by the way). It reminded me of trash pick-up time in Taipei, where the neighbors gather in pj's. Life has been mostly “normal” in Shanghai since March 2020. For the first time since March 2020, schools are back to online le