Classic Jacket Potato
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. This year we eschewed the fancy restaurants and opted for a cosy evening at home. We made jacket potatoes, to remind us of a classic meal we made many times during the food-scarce days of the Shanghai lockdown. (And also because Americans find it kinda hilarious that British people call baked potatoes “jacket potatoes”.) 🧥🥔
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
The Merest of Mickeys
Mickey Mouse pays our bills, but he doesn’t live in our house. Until now.
Christmas came early in Shanghai, in the shape of this limited edition bronze sculpture by the artist 徐震 (Xú Zhèn). A mere hint of Mickey to blend into the background… 🫥🐭
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
Piazza Privilege
This post is about privilege. Today we decided to use our tiny balcony to pretend that we were in an Italian piazza rather than stuck in our Shanghai apartment. This weekend we made a feast out of the fanciest cheeses and cold cuts from our fridge. We’ve recently watched Dune, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story and CODA, all from the comfort of our (increasingly sagging) couch. And we’re surrounded by neighbours in our compound who have been very kind and supportive to one-another throughout these harsh few weeks of confinement. Even though we’ve lost our freedom for a total of 56 days and counting, we’re still luckier than 99% of people in Shanghai.
Living for so long in China starts to make you a little inured to the all-pervasive miasma of state power. So your messages of support over the last couple of months have not just been a massive morale booster, but also a useful reminder that this hasn’t been ‘normal’, and there is such a thing as individual human dignity. Having said that, it has been a little uncomfortable to read comments about our “bravery” and “endurance”, when in fact for the most part we’ve been able to wallow in the luxury of denial and disassociation. That’s the power of privilege, even in times like these.
We’ve certainly had our lows. This whole time, Denny has been working from home with a broken hand. And while I’ve been telling myself that I’m functioning fine, my body has been telling me that I’m not. One day let me regale you with all the fun and creative symptoms it came up with. But for now, I’m taking a cue from the weather and am starting the week with a sunnier disposition. Parts of Shanghai are supposedly opening up this week. No doubt there will be many days of continued false hope and confusion before this means anything to us. Until then, I’ll be in my Italian piazza. Finché c'è vita c'è speranza.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
A Small Taste of Freedom?
Some positive news. 😊
Firstly, we managed to secure some supplies of food through a combined purchase with 2 other neighbouring compounds. 🍚🍎🍊🥛
Secondly, we left the compound for 10 minutes for a streetside COVID test, our first small taste of freedom in 5 days. ☀️🆓☀️
And finally, I suddenly remembered that we had some spare wheat beer that was gifted to us by Peter Fuchs just before we went on a wheat-free diet. So we decided to donate it to our compound, and brought a few smiles to the community. 😍🍻
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
2022 Reads Like '2020 Too'
As you have probably read, China is experiencing its worst COVID-19 outbreak since early 2020, and around 40 million people across the country are currently on some kind of lockdown.
As I was attempting to leave our compound to get a cup of coffee this morning, I realised that this number now includes Denny and me.
The good news is that for now it’s just for 48 hours, we’re still allowed food deliveries, and the mandatory testing station is conveniently located at the school next door. The policeman guarding our gate was happy to take this photo.
We’re not the only ones in this situation, many of our friends in Shanghai also woke up to the same thing. Which is why for us, 2022 reads like “2020 too”.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
The Gift of Boredom
For those of us not in immediate danger, the Coronavirus epidemic has given us a consolation gift. The gift of boredom.
Were it not for the weeks of self-confinement in February 2020, I would not have sat down in front of the piano for the first time in a year. We would not have had daily home-cooked meals. We would not have reorganised our closet and donated boxes of valuable items to our neighbours. And of course I wouldn’t have written this post.
This experience has taught me to accept more boredom into my life, and to allow more time for boredom in my working day. Because for me, boredom breeds creativity; creativity breeds contentment; and contentment breeds productivity.
Small Businesses in a Crisis
In a crisis, small businesses face the biggest challenges. But also the biggest opportunities.
I remember co-founding my headhunting company in Singapore in the middle of the global financial crisis in 2008. It was tough, no question about it. But while all of our larger competitors were turning inward and focusing on damage control, we were small and nimble enough to do the opposite. We continually reached out to our external stakeholders. We treated them as human beings, showing genuine solidarity and compassion. And while we hemorrhaged cash along with everyone else, we also built a level of trust and goodwill that endured for many years into the recovery.
Today, I received this surprise care package from Jessica Gleeson at the skincare company BrighterBeauty. It includes skin protection, face masks, protective gloves, home-baked cookies and some light reading.
That’s how you do it.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
For the Instagram version, see here.
Mindset is Everything
The situation in China continues to be affected by strict policies of self-confinement. In Shanghai today, getting into most buildings and residential estates requires you to wear a mask, and submit yourself to temperature checks. This photo was taken by The New York Times contributor Rebecca Kanthor at the end of my 小区 lane in Shanghai, where the gates have now been locked, and only residents can enter and exit.
As brutal as this sounds, I don’t feel under siege. And as inconvenient as these restrictions are, I don’t find them stressful. I find them comforting. There’s a stoicism in my community of Chinese neighbours that is very calming. And everyday changes to regulations are being superbly well-organised and communicated.
It makes me feel that China and the Chinese people are on top of this. And it makes me feel that mindset is everything.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
