Am I the only one doing a happy dance to be in almost isolation, surrounded by my lovely home, with most of the things I need, and relieved of so much "out & about" & time pressure?
Don't get me wrong - getting our quarantine on here in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand has it's serious rough spots. The roughest being almost no income in a country with no safety nets, pensions or unemployment benefits. As a non-Thai, I don't qualify for the Thai government emergency cash relief program. As a solo-mom of a 15 year old Thai girl, I've never had any child support in 12 years. Which has been a mostly good thing, as it has forced innovation, self-sufficiency and my entrepreneurial spirit.
Thailand has been at level 3 quarantine restriction for over a week already. Most businesses closed, everyone at home, no gatherings, only essentials busiensses like food and banking are open - even the local Costco equivalent has the aisles for non essentials like homewares closed. Some areas like Phuket already have overnight curfew to try and contain sex industry workers and desperate old men. Travel is difficult, almost all flights have stopped and inter-provincial travel restricted only for emergency vehicles and freight. There are road blocks everywhere for temperature testing, and it is required to enter most stores. "No mask, no entry" is standard policy everywhere.
In a stellar piece of cosmic alignment, my business Pure Thai Natural Co Ltd was asked to produce hand sanitizer by a leading, huge hotel two weeks before #coronavirus erupted. So we were ahead of the curve and producing a #vegan hand sanitizing product in sustainable packaging (with refills) before anyone else. So this last week we have been able to make enough money for food and electricity, and schlepping down to DHL and our local Thai courier company, Kerry Express, every second day. It looks a lot, but the profit margins are tiny - I just can't make real money from what others desperately need for health & survival.
Two of those boxes are gifts for extended Thai family in the provinces who don't have access to face masks or hand sanitizer. We're super grateful to our Thai yoga teacher, Khun Jinda, who is sewing reusable 100% cotton masks with a little pocket which contains HEPA filter. We're not selling them at this stage, as she has backlogged orders, but that may change. Yesterday they went to Thai family in much need, and my mum in Australia.
I've also been getting my #HIVE on, to re-establish an (almost) daily blogging habit. I really believe Hive is in a unique position with NO CENSORSHIP and have been using the time to write content that may assist, or inform others.
I was thrilled to hear that an asthmatic friend in South Africa made my Decongestant Natural Cough Syrup so she could assist family, fiends and neighbours, if needed. Decongestant Natural Cough Syrup - Clear Lungs & Easy Breathing in a Covid-19 World.
What does a solo-mom do stranded at home with a 15 year old and a LOT of cabbage? We learned how to make Kimchi!
Building Immunity with Kimchi - Kpop, Resistant 15 Year Olds & Things to Do In #Covid19 Lockdown.
I have a feeling there are a LOT of people round the world needing input for building natural immunity and what to do with mountains of cabbage. Hive's @naturalmedicine community is a hugely important resource, especially as mainstream social media censors non-big-pharma natural remedies and classifies health as "fake news". How many people even know that facebook is blocking businesses from promoting hand sanitizer and facemasks for sale? Didn't know? You must have missed my post! Natural Medicine Censorship in a Post CoronaVirus World
If our world sounds all-too-serious (believe me, nothing like econonic freefall with a 15 year old hanging off your skirt to induce seriousness!!), it isn't. I let Miss 15 choose one KDrama series to watch - her passion. She's been studying Korean language and her boyfriend is currently in Dae Jeon in South Korea, with his family. So, KDrama it is. LOL. We're crawling through (feels like) a loooooong series called The Bride of Habaek.
90 mins of my life, everyday, for one episode is a big ask. It's COOL to hang on the sofa with your kid, let her choose and to enjoy her becoming fluid in her 3rd language. Nevertheless, it still feels like wasted time. LOL. A drama series addict, I am not! So, to make that time feel useful (spot the Dutch Calvinist-influenced Catholic!) I am working on my refugee baby hats.
When I was in Eastern Burma recently, Dr 박진영, the Korean doctor who heads the refugee field hospital, asked for knitted hats. With tuberculosis common and many babies born with lung disease, keeping them warm through rainy and cold season in the mountains is a serious struggle every year. This is the only incubator for tuberculosis babies born there and yes, you're right, it's an antique.
So, knitted baby hats it is. While the Korean girl is getting it on with the Water God incarnated, I am on my 3rd hat this week.
Curious about this field hospital pushed up hard against the Thai-Burmese border? My @threespeak video might help explain a little of what I do, and why I'm involved with them.
Which takes me to the biggest priority of our "lockdown" isolation: my need to completely rewrite my project for working with the Karen refugee community. In a world with one doctor to cover a HUGE geographical and mountainous area, the Karen refugee people in the refugee camps and mountain shelters are expected to be very hard hit. They are far more remote, but live communally with little water, little sanitation and very fragile food security. Yes, they have had their first cases of Covd-19 already.
So I sit here in my office upstairs at home, trying to make a difference and making the most of it. It's 41C during the daytimes and staying inside is a tough call. Downstairs, judging by the thumping around on our old teakwood floors, my daughter is dancing. She just finished a zoom meeting with her Student Council (she's the Vice President) about the new Green Shop the students are opening and running. My daughter has been designing the mural for the outside of the on-campus building.
Life goes on. Today it's Kimchi Pancakes - stay tuned for the Hive recipe post. LOL. Might get really focused and start on last year's business tax. Upload a few more products to our online store. Work on some mainstream social media to make sure we have money for food next week. Get in some garden time - as hot and dry as it is, it's time to get tomato, cucumber and zucchinini and bean seeds started.
Appreciating the Moments, happy & productive in my Thai Quarantine.
Join The Best Natural Health Community on Hive