Diary Entries

The Apple Store is open! Wow. I can finally pick up by free Beat's Headphones that I ordered in early March but couldn't pick up because the store closed. It's now May 8th. I lined up 1.5 metres behind the person in front of me when a Security Guard walked up to me to ask me which direction did I come from? I stretched out my arm to indicate the direction toward David Jones. Oh so I did not enter via the main entrance from the street? No I did not enter from the street. I was redirected to line up again to get my temperature checked and to also read a big sign that I had not been in contact with anyone with Covid 19, I did not have a cough, I did not feel unwell. Once I read the sign and said "no" to each question, I could proceed to have my temperature checked with an electronic beep. I was deemed "OK" and could proceed to go back into one of the two lines to enter the store. I did not enter the store. I had to stay outside, showed my ID and the Apple assistant called someone to get my order. Every staff member had a face mask on. The security guards were dressed in black. It is the new normal. It is like a Sci Fi movie, robotic, distant, clinical. I am living in this but it is not a movie. It is real.

My connections. My connections are here in Sydney but also in New York, Guernsey, France, London, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Hanoi, Tokyo, Toronto. So what's the latest news? New York- my aunt Julia died from Covid 19 related pneumonia two Sunday's ago. She was 84 and was in a nursing home in New Jersey where a worker tested positive five weeks ago. London- my friend is not going to open my parcel sent from Sydney in case it has Covid 19 on it. She is leaving it in the glasshouse in her garden for a couple of days. My parcel took a whole month to get there. Usually it takes 10 days. Hong Kong- my brother's kids still have not gone back to school. They had Christmas holidays and now it's the 8th May. They are at 9 and 11 years old. Guernsey- my friend is in lockdown. She's not working as a casual teacher as schools have closed. Doesn't know when she will get work again. France- my elderly friend said there's a "Chinese virus" going around. Maybe the news is American? China- no news. It seems all is fine. My dad hasn't said anything about the relatives, so they must be fine. Singapore - well my friend said she is working from home. Hanoi- restrictions are being lifted, the lockdown is over but my friend has been advised to keep social distancing. Tokyo- my friend and her family are all fine. Her girls play with the neighbours kids. Toronto- my aunt has shared videos with me so I can learn to cook authentic Chinese food from Hong Kong videos. Well this weekend I will see my sister, my connection in Sydney.

Well it's been another week of remote teaching using Zoom to see the kids at school. This week I did two cooking lessons, one with Year 9 and the other one with the Year 10 boys. Both classes made a pasta dish. The boys love cooking and it is amazing to see how organised they are in their own kitchens at home. On the Zoom screen they can see each other as well and the students who finish early can eat and watch the show. This week I have been also inspired to cook. I have learnt how to cook in the last few weeks ham and pea soup for my dad who tasted it at my school's Open Day last year. I wanted to make something nice for him to eat. I had never bought a ham hock before in my life, however, the recipe called for one and I just bought one from the butcher shop. The slow cooker works wonders. It cooks overnight and the smell of soup wafting through the morning while I waken, is life again. It beckons to say "eat me" but not in the Alice in Wonderland story where some strange things happen. No, the soup is a testament to being alive and being able to carry on and help another person appreciate being alive with memories of a time past where you could go and buy soup in a crowd of people. Yes, this week I have been inspired to cook and I made Jamie Oliver's ratatouille rustic style with aubergines and courgettes but we call them egg plant and zucchini. I've also made Luke Nyguen's auntie's steamed fish recipe for Lunar New Year. Fish he said is a symbol of wealth. I am fortunate to be a teacher in the pandemic.