SHANGHAI LOCKDOWN CHAT - CLEMENTINE
- haibox
- Apr 19, 2022
- 5 min read
1.
Q:
First of all, can you briefly introduce yourself? (Like, where are you from? How long have you been in Shanghai? Which district are you living? What do you do in Shanghai? ,etc.）
A:
Hi there! I’m Clementine, French in Shanghai since almost three years now. I’m a Creative Event Planner in a Luxury Event Agency and I live in Jing ‘an District near Jing ‘an Temple.
2.
Q:
How long have you been in this home quarantine? What's the situation of your area or building? How do you manage to solve the basic grocery problem? Do you have enough supplies at the moment?
A:
I have been in this quarantine situation since the first day of Puxi global lockdown, so April 1st. But my office has been closed since almost a month prior, so I’ve been working from home since then. Luckily, I live in a very small traditional Chinese compound where we are not suffering the problematics of massive residential buildings. Meaning the controls are not that heavy, and the support between residents are quite positive. We got lucky for a few days as we were part of the experimental part of the city where we were allowed to go for walks in our street once a day. But that dream shifted quickly when we got a new case and went back to red zone. Supply wise, it was tough… For almost two weeks, our neighbors were seeing us (my roommate and I) as moving diseases. So, we were not allowed to go out at all, everybody was screaming at us for no reason, and we felt alone in this whole situation… Group buying was inaccessible to us, and the food delivery competition was very tough at the time. After a good scream at our neighborhood committee, we managed to make ourselves heard and got added to the neighbors buying group. Now we are safe and sound!
3.
Q:
Has this lockdown changes your working mode? Is it very different from going to work in the company? What is a typical work day and weekend day for you, during this quarantine?
A:
Oh boy, so much has changed! I’m a pretty wild spirit so I don’t really mind working from home and doing my day as I please. But I must admit that not having your team by your side to communicate and exchange is sometimes tough. I have a team of two designers that I need to talk to and guide every day, and this quarantine stuff hasn’t made it very practical. It is easy to say that I am a 100% less efficient those days (typical lockdown day) than a regular office day. Deadlines are harder to keep, concentration has been weakened, stress from the global situation is distracting… But “luckily” we are all in the same mess, so it’s been acceptable for everyone to reduce efficiency. Added to that, everything is frozen event wise, so there is not much we can do except dreaming about the good old days and the ones ahead.
4.
Q:
What are the warmest AND the most disappointing social newsyou saw, during this lockdown?
A:
That’s a tough one. Warmest, I’d say like everybody else, it’s been quite impressive to see the global support that everybody was bringing to the community. All those groups, contact exchange, online support etc. All this has been super heartwarming. The only thing I really noticed about all this situation is how important it was to have a community by your side. Even if it is just your “Country Community”. We help each other a lot between us Frenchie, and that feels good to see that your Consulate is here to help and support.
Disappointing one? The insanity and lack of thoughts of all this. Like every decision taken by the Chinese government, there is a goal, and you need to reach it no matter what is blocking you. Even though it requires to eliminate any Human / Animal rights to reach your target. And this is what I’m the most disappointed of. Not that I wasn’t aware of it, it’s just when you see it in action, and notice that even the silliest decision is taken to achieve it, if you take a step back, those decisions are the worst I’ve ever seen.
5.
Q:
We saw so much chaotic news every day, has this changed your impression about Shanghai? From 1-10, how much do you score for Shanghai’s lockdown solutions? Any suggestions to improve?
A:
I understand that managing the most populated city on Earth is not an easy task, even more in a critical situation. And maybe zero-covid policy is a good decision on the long run… Who knows? But my guess is that a lot of Foreigners will leave the country the minute they will get the chance, so goodbye old freeing Shanghai, and welcome to a sanitized over-controlled world. That doesn’t sound so much fun to me.
So, I’d give it a sad 4. Obviously, lockdown is a good decision sometimes when required, but the management attached to it has definitively been executed the wrong way. People are not afraid of Covid in Shanghai, they are afraid of being taken to those terrible camps and that their animals will be murdered if they don’t stay home. I don’t think that’s the best way to control your population to be honest…
6.
Q:
How do you manage to keep your mind relatively stable during this special period? Have you found some good ways of releasing stress or depression?
A:
S P O R T. Without those online everyday sessions, I will have lost my mind a long time ago. I’m a pretty lonely person so I don’t mind staying alone for a long time but moving and having something scheduled in your day has something very soothing. My roommate and I have also two animals to keep ourselves company, so that’s an added positive vibe! We are trying to cook, drink, spend some social time together as well so that we don’t become completely unsociable when the release date will be announced.
7.
Q:
From the lockdown, are there any positive lessons or messages that you want to share with other people? (Please attach 2-3 representative photos taken during the lockdown)
A:
Life is short, so enjoy it while you can. Really, it may sound cheesy or mainstream but being stuck has made me realize that every little thing that I was pushing / planning for later / and always wanted to do and never done, I should have just done it while I had the chance. The minute I’m out, I’m dying my hair, piercing my body, trading my money for a good drinking day with friends, and going on a trip. You will hopefully never see me hesitate on doing something again. Let’s be free & wild!
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