SHANGHAI LOCKDOWN CHAT - SCARLETT
- haibox
- Apr 18, 2022
- 3 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:
Born and raised in Shanghai, I’m a typical bossy elegant Shanghainese lady who works in luxury industry as an event planner.
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 started work from home since the beginning of March when the pandemic just hit the city. The quarantine rule in my compound has always been changing during this period. I think what community can improve is the transparent communication. As a resident, I feel quite passive about the communication since we are only allowed to take in whatever the messages or decisions the community gave us without explaining why. In terms of grocery, thankfully my company supported us with the generous grocery packages and on the other hand, I became an ALDI expert as I managed to get orders from them multiple times by studying their opening hour patterns daily.
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:
Well, it’s not the first time that we have the city lockdown. Back in 2020, I already experienced working from home for two months due to the pandemic. It was a nightmare since I had been working more hours per week since the start of COVID-19 and that my effectiveness was affected by stress. Thankfully, the company heard our voices and this time around, the company is putting more focus on people’s wellbeing physically, emotionally and financially. My work schedule allows flexibility to meet my personal/family needs. And I’m able to manage both work and personal responsibilities.
4.
Q:
What are the warmest AND the most disappointing social news you saw, during this lockdown?
A:
The warmest news I read was about this girl who works in Lawson that decided to live in the store for the whole month, so she could keep helping delivery groceries for the community around her when the 99% of the grocery stores were forced to close. It’s so powerful to see that ordinary people are trying to contribute to the society in every single way. What disappointed me the most was when I read about how people were fighting against the law enforcements or disrespect the medical workers. I wish that people could put themselves in each other’s shoes and understand each other more in the most difficult times. We are all in this battlefield together, we should all stand for each other, not against.
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:
The only suggestion as I previously mentioned is that for communities to improve their transparency of the communication. Hear people out, collect their needs, rather than cascade down the news from the top and neglecting people’s questions or concerns.
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:
Explore the things you’ve never done before. I tried to meditate, keep myself active like doing Just Dance daily on switch, learn how to cook, etc.
7.
Q:
From the lockdown, are there any positive lessons or messages that you want to share with other people?
A:
Surround yourself with positive energies and keep your head up. Tomorrow is another day.
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