Chinese Salad

Beijing Still At Standstill

Beijing Amid The Coronavirus Epidemic

• Gyms and all fitness centers / sports-related venues are all closed until further notice

• Movie theaters, KTVs, and tourism-related areas within the city are all closed until further notice

• Some bars and restaurants are open, and some do get busy since everyone is itching to get out of their house, but many restaurants are only providing take-out

• Temperature checks are everywhere. Every park you go to, restaurant, residential community -- they all take your temperature with a little temp-gun

• Residents have all been issued a flimsy paper "entry-exit" card with your address written on it. To enter the hutongs, you must present this card, verify that you live at the address, get your temp taken, and then you are allowed in. Tables are set up at these street "checkpoints," and two workers stop you before entering

• Packages are still shipping from online sales, but it's taking much longer than usual

• Everyone seems to be in limbo concerning when things will open back up and when people will go back to the office (most people are working from home). We are all waiting for the official "government notice," which will come based on criteria that no one is sure of. Many are guessing that it will require at least two weeks of no new infections before things start opening back up.

• The virus is the main focus of conversation

• EVERYONE is wearing a mask, and many places require them. If I want to go into a 7-11, I need a mask. Taking a taxi, mandatory mask. Picking up my take-out, mask. Oddly enough, despite the ubiquitous necessity, most places seem to be out of masks.

• Couriers and food deliverymen are no longer allowed to go inside buildings and knock on your door. You must go down to the street to pick stuff up

• Restaurants and residential areas have pesticide-like tanks filled with Dettol or other bacteria-killing sprays, and they regularly spray all the tables, stairs, handrails, doors, and floors

• Working from home seems like the ideal time to travel and work abroad, but many countries have a "if you have been in China within the past two weeks, you are not permitted entry" -- so traveling is out of the question

• Pharmacies now require an ID and other information if you buy cold or fever medicine. They also put a table in the entrance, and you cannot go inside; instead, you tell the lady what you want, and she'll get it for you.

Overall, I think the general feeling after three weeks of quarantine is that people are bored, frustrated that there is no definitive "time" to when things will go back to normal, and still a bit anxious about getting infected. Many people wear surgical gloves out in public along with a mask. When will it end? Who knows... Am I, along with most people in the city, ready to return to normal life in the capital? Absolutely

Masked Haircut

Coronavirus Control Measures

Elevators in China have now started using tape to create quadrants in which to stand to avoid contact due to the coronavirus epidemic

Blue Skies Amidst The Epidemic

Despite the pretty views, Beijing is pretty dead. Some bars and restaurants are open, but KTVs, movie theaters, gyms, everything that could result in “people gathering” are closed until further notice, and people are told to stay at home. When will things go back to normal? That’s the million dollar question.

Nailed It

Taobao Delivery Delayed

Got this message when I tried to buy something on Taobao. Wuhan might be on complete lockdown, but Beijing isn’t much better. Gyms are closed, deliveries are on hold, flights in and out of China are hit or miss (most are temporarily suspended until the end the of March or April), only half of the restaurants are open and able to deliver food, and most malls are only open until 6 or 7 pm (with many of the stores inside closed).

Currently working from home until I receive notice that I need to go back to the office, which who knows when that will be. I’d like to go travel and work from home from somewhere else, but I don’t know when I need to be back and not sure if I’d have to do a quarantine upon arrival — which would defeat the point of leaving anyway.

This is not how I thought I’d be spending my final months in China, but then again, it’s a fitting way to end my 7 year relationship with this country.

My Nightmare

Literally all the gyms in Beijing are closed. I called maybe 20 the other day, including hotel gyms — all closed. As are sports venues, bowling alleys, and gymnasiums. Everyone I called said “closed until further notice.” Epidemic doesn’t seem to be diminishing, so I’m resorting to “home workouts” via YouTube.

Back in Beijing

…and not happy about it. Came from 30+ degree weather to -2. It snowed a few days ago, so there is still snow on the ground mixed with frozen dirty slush. My gym is closed, as are the 20 other gyms I called this morning. When asked when they would reopen, I was told: “We are closed until further notice.”

Half of the restaurants usually available for delivery have been removed from the food delivery apps, and small shops, like places for phone screen protectors, small vegetable shops, and other stores are closed. Granted, it is the weekend before life in the capital is supposed to officially resume work on the 10th, but as of now, Beijing is quiet and boring.

I've been told to continue working from home until further notice. I decided to fly back to China from Bangkok after three weeks of traveling, but now, I wish I had stayed abroad.

New Cartoon by Jeff Myles

China's Development

Here is an article I wrote about China’s “developing country” status and what it will take for China to become a developed country in the future

2020 National Championship

Being a sports fan is challenging when in Beijing. Games either start super early or super late. LSU-Clemson game started at 9am and I forgot how long games were when you factor in commercials and the halftime report. On top of that, an electric bike battery exploded right outside the bar window and even when doused with a fire extinguisher, flames continued to burst forth, so the fire department was called. Eventful morning.

Duck…Duck…

Is the West’s ‘Red Scare' About China Valid?

Here’s an article I recently wrote about Red Scare and China

More Snow For Beijing

Movie Theater Luxury

Happy 2020!

Off to Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar in 2 weeks. Always nice to start off the new year with a vacation.

Chinese Banks

Chinese banks are just as bad as U.S. DMVs. They are slow, anal about paperwork, no one is in a good mood, and no matter what you went there to do, there’s about 15 steps that need to be taken to get it done. I can order laundry detergent and donuts to my house in 15 minutes using only an app, but exchanging currency takes well over an hour. Fix the system, China, it’s broken.

2020 Resolutions

Here are my resolutions, goals, objectives… whatever… for 2020:

• Leave China // Life

• Get a job in Europe // Life

• 1 picture every day // Life

• Travel to 3 new countries // Life (Laos - Myanmar)

• Read 20 books (15 fiction + 5 non-fiction) // Mind

• Write 1 unique sentence per day // Mind

• Finalize story and finish outline for new novel idea // Mind

• Touch my toes sitting down // Body

• Squat bodyweight 10 times // Body

• Collect China Social Security // $$$

• Contribute $6,000 to Roth IRA // $$$ - DONE