This year's birthday is probably one of the most "unforgettable" one because of COVID-19 circuit breaker measures implemented in Singapore. Before COVID-19, I have always thought that I cannot work well at home, thus prefer to do OT in office most of the time. Now that I have got a monitor, keyboard, laptop riser and work table setup, I think I can perpetually work from home! Haha...not really liking it because lack of proper lunch break, social life and opportunity to walk while travelling to and fro to work. Crazy period to get fat and gain weight!
Been working from home since mid February 2020, good 4 months plus stuck at home..plus transition of job from red camp to v camp. Started working from home on Day 3 in v camp since 18 Mar 2020, luckily able to collect laptop and staff pass to access VPN at home. It has really has been AN AMAZING JOURNEY, trying to figure things out myself without any guidance since there is no one else in marketing in Singapore office. Indeed a very different experience to do self-on boarding and asking everyone else on what has been done. Being in a regional role is to have opportunity to travel but now due to COVID-19, all travelling is not possible and everyone get stuck in Singapore, even getting busier as everyone seems damn free to have endless conference calls everyday.
My first 4 weeks were spent on many back to back conference calls every single day, both day and night times to catch up with Singapore, US and UK colleagues. First time feel that there was no honeymoon period and literally thrown into the sea to swim on my own. If you ask me, its not fun at all and totally tiring to do night calls every night. With this kind of experience, I believe I will not be looking for a regional role in the next job, still need a life after work! Cannot quite imagine I cannot meet friends for dinner after work or do what i want given all the night call schedules. Just hope that I can manage better with less calls after 2 months in the role, not liking such lifestyle for sure.
These few months has really been a different lifestyle working from home, not able to go out to eat meals because only can order delivery to bring home to eat. Really pity those essential services folks who have to work but cannot eat in hawker centre or foodcourts....find this measure quite ridiculous lah. Saw people squatting in carpark and staircases eat their meals is really very pathetic, especially the cleaners and workers who work very hard during this period of time to ensure tip top hygiene.
The circuit breaker period also make me wonder why so many people have so much time to do all kind of stunts such as cooking like a chef, exercising and posting on FB or Instagram everyday on their conference calls situation etc. Its really quite a joke when there are so many freaking free people able to cook 3 meals a day and go jogging everyday during CB period. No need to work meh? Then why am I always so busy and wake up early every day to have meetings while i ended my calls late at 12mn of 1am. Simply crazy and super imbalance indeed! Totally don't understand why i have this super giam cai mia when it comes to work, always have to slog so jialat jialat when everyone seems to be enjoying the WFH arrangement. Maybe that's why majority of people would prefer to WFH even after CB is over....I am really missing the routine of going to work, wear nicely and have some make up to feel good going to work. Realised that that's another important element of worklife, everyday seems to fly just like that with no clear differentiation of work and personal life at home. Being cooped in a small house like that can really cause mental stress and affect one's social or communication skills man!
Since the CB period started, I have stopped having weekend gathering with sis and family, only able to visit mum to see her every weekend when she goes back to her place due to the regulation. Terribly miss my nieces and their noise already....Glad that we can do occasional video calls at times. This has really changed the way that we lead our lives, just work, sleep and Netflix everyday is really too ultimate boring!
This year's birthday was also ultimate simple with no fanciful dinner or meetings with friends. Some ex-colleagues did virtual Zoom celebrations together but really its so different lacking the human touch and fun seeing face-to-face. Really miss hanging out with friends and going out to have meals, shopping and watch movies. All these are missing out of our lives for the last few months and going to continue for the next few months.....Though i don't feel very affected because very used to the mono life now, I am really super looking forward to end of this COVID-19 situation then we can all resume our normal life again. Just too much to say in one blog, been so long since I wrote a blog and I thought would be good to record my feeling and situation now given CB measure, probably first time in the entire Singapore history....First time to see shopping malls and eateries closed for longest time, so many people livelihood affected, really very worrying.
Meanwhile, stay safe and pray for COVID-19 to end very soon! :) Hang in there!
