It's been interesting to watch the ebb and flow of panic and anxiety with the Coronavirus. Here, the Toilet Paper crisis hit at the end of February as we were frolicking in NozawaOnsen, our last snow adventure of the year. Photos of empty grocery stores and false rumors that the toilet paper in Japan was produced in China #spoileralert #fakenews #mediacreatedcrisis #plentyofTPjustchillout The guy in front of me at the convenie buys 2 packs of TP, a roll of paper towels and 3 boxes of tissues. He is not playing around!
Life in Japan follows a different routine then back home, instead of stopping at the market and buying supplies for the whole week, I tend to make smaller trips more often to grab just what we need at the time. Loving the rhythm of dreaming up dinner then picking up the freshest ingredients hours before cooking.
While that rhythm is beautiful, it doesn't lend itself to having much of a stockpile. Plus our next round of visitors were coming soon! We were working to eat through our stash to have space on our tiny 3 shelf pantry for Nutella! and Pasta! and Granola Bars! and Cookies! and all the familiar tastes of home to tiny palettes which likely will be shocked and horrified at some of the absolutely yummy foods that look a little bit strange: looking at you fish with eyeballs still attached!
So we're in NozawaOnsen enjoying the beautiful weather and last snow of the season! And while we don't feel the need to panic and stockpile, we do remember we are down to our last few rolls of TP at home.
While that rhythm is beautiful, it doesn't lend itself to having much of a stockpile. Plus our next round of visitors were coming soon! We were working to eat through our stash to have space on our tiny 3 shelf pantry for Nutella! and Pasta! and Granola Bars! and Cookies! and all the familiar tastes of home to tiny palettes which likely will be shocked and horrified at some of the absolutely yummy foods that look a little bit strange: looking at you fish with eyeballs still attached!
So we're in NozawaOnsen enjoying the beautiful weather and last snow of the season! And while we don't feel the need to panic and stockpile, we do remember we are down to our last few rolls of TP at home.
Fast forward to Monday morning and I walk to the market at the end of our block. I get there 5 minutes after opening and find these lovely shelves greeting me.
Google translate does not appreciate the squished together vertical text but I can assume it says something about Stop panicking people! Along with limits on how much one can buy at once. I continue meandering my way through the store picking up the other absolute essential on my list: Envelopes! For our Absentee Ballots! Which must go out today 14 days before the election because I want our votes counted on time! #whowouldhaveguessedtheywouldbeearly #suchawildlyweirdmonth
I notice other shoppers have TP and begin wondering if they found a secret stash somewhere. Or maybe I'm going to have to ask for it? That's not going to go very smoothly #foreignlanguageproblems But I continue wandering and turn the corner to find a pallet! With exactly 2 packs of TP left. Success! It's the most fanciest toilet paper to ever grace our bathroom- complete with pink flowers and a soft perfume.
I notice other shoppers have TP and begin wondering if they found a secret stash somewhere. Or maybe I'm going to have to ask for it? That's not going to go very smoothly #foreignlanguageproblems But I continue wandering and turn the corner to find a pallet! With exactly 2 packs of TP left. Success! It's the most fanciest toilet paper to ever grace our bathroom- complete with pink flowers and a soft perfume.
Fast forward a few days and things continue getting weirder. Schools announce several week closures and the world media begins getting a little itchy about the situation. Our friends make the tough decision to postpone their trip and we begin wondering what the next few weeks will bring cue ominous music.
Half way around the world from our loved ones and to not be able to understand the local news. For months I've taken to listening to some daily podcasts so I have a faint idea of what's going on back home. The media continues getting itchy and one rainy day I head to the grocery store to buy more than a few days worth of groceries.
The TP crisis is over (after just a few days) and shelves are normally stocked once again. I buy produce, extra pasta and rice and a few yummy snacks that of course we're promptly consumed.
Half way around the world from our loved ones and to not be able to understand the local news. For months I've taken to listening to some daily podcasts so I have a faint idea of what's going on back home. The media continues getting itchy and one rainy day I head to the grocery store to buy more than a few days worth of groceries.
The TP crisis is over (after just a few days) and shelves are normally stocked once again. I buy produce, extra pasta and rice and a few yummy snacks that of course we're promptly consumed.
The most groceries that have ever been in this car! Thank goodness I didn't ride my bike. Confident that not only do we have enough food for a few weeks but it will be interesting food, not just plain rice and beans, although no actual beans cause they're uber expensive here.
Some extra things and a plan. Here I only cook 2 or 3 dinners a week, we fully believe in tasting all the amazing neighborhood restaurants and supporting their economic situation. But when I do cook, making a double batch for homecooked freezer meals as a back up plan. And in a hopefully few weeks when things return to normal, we can start enjoying these yummy dinners instead of feeling a need to stockpile them for later.
Such a weird thing to be half a world away, watching the crazyness just keep spiraling. Wondering if we're next, prepping and planning but also striving not to go overboard. Trying to find the balance between worry and gratefulness, responsibility and the desire to continue to explore Japan in safe ways. Taking moments to curse germs and and trying not to be bitter about all the plans we've been forced to postpone. Visits with some of our favorite people, traipsing about Australia in a Campervan, ordinary weekend adventures. Hoping for quick return to normalcy and in the meantime, embracing menu planning, experimenting with new recipes and the finding the most amazing pan for baking!!!!
Wise words from a Friend and Alumni Family (still not sure how it's possible the children go from tiny toddlers to great big smart and sassy teenagers in the blink of an eye!)
"Just a moment to reflect on the grief we are all experiencing or that I am. It comes from the wide range of loss, especially with more freedoms restricted tonight. Loss of live human interactions, loss of our favorite sit down restaurants, loss of a long awaited spring break vacation. But more seriously, the increasing loss of life, jobs, businesses, projects, income. The loss to be next to a sick family member or at a loved one’s funeral. And less tangibly, plans, dreams and expectations. But I realized that in the loss I was experiencing personally, I really did still have hope. Hope for the rescheduled vacation, a hug to my mom, a client project returning, a playground moment for my kids, a sushi dinner, staff meetings in person, a coffee with a friend. Perhaps it’s the Libra in me that I should seek to balance this out. But I just want to give you all a gentle reminder you are probably facing loss somewhere- and it’s ok to grieve. I had a really good cry yesterday when this reality hit me. It was then when I decided to look for hope on the other side. Join me there if and when you can. With love to all."
Details on our current situation: Grocery stores are stocked, in fact the convenience stores have a surplus of instant noodles: perhaps they were extra ambitious in their ordering. Rumors about increased testing and the assumed spike in confirmed cases. But even with lack of testing, we aren't noticing sick people. Hospitals aren't overrun, work places are functioning like normal. Tokyo is beginning to enact measures to keep people apart but for now schools are scheduled to reopen in 10 days.
Is this the calm in the eye of the storm? Does the inherent differences in cultural greetings (bowing instead of shaking/hugging) create a more hostile environment for the germs to try and spread? Can't even imagine what it will feel like at the end of April, looking back over those weeks. Here's hoping for a lowered trends and positive spirits and starting the uphill climb back to normal.
"Just a moment to reflect on the grief we are all experiencing or that I am. It comes from the wide range of loss, especially with more freedoms restricted tonight. Loss of live human interactions, loss of our favorite sit down restaurants, loss of a long awaited spring break vacation. But more seriously, the increasing loss of life, jobs, businesses, projects, income. The loss to be next to a sick family member or at a loved one’s funeral. And less tangibly, plans, dreams and expectations. But I realized that in the loss I was experiencing personally, I really did still have hope. Hope for the rescheduled vacation, a hug to my mom, a client project returning, a playground moment for my kids, a sushi dinner, staff meetings in person, a coffee with a friend. Perhaps it’s the Libra in me that I should seek to balance this out. But I just want to give you all a gentle reminder you are probably facing loss somewhere- and it’s ok to grieve. I had a really good cry yesterday when this reality hit me. It was then when I decided to look for hope on the other side. Join me there if and when you can. With love to all."
Details on our current situation: Grocery stores are stocked, in fact the convenience stores have a surplus of instant noodles: perhaps they were extra ambitious in their ordering. Rumors about increased testing and the assumed spike in confirmed cases. But even with lack of testing, we aren't noticing sick people. Hospitals aren't overrun, work places are functioning like normal. Tokyo is beginning to enact measures to keep people apart but for now schools are scheduled to reopen in 10 days.
Is this the calm in the eye of the storm? Does the inherent differences in cultural greetings (bowing instead of shaking/hugging) create a more hostile environment for the germs to try and spread? Can't even imagine what it will feel like at the end of April, looking back over those weeks. Here's hoping for a lowered trends and positive spirits and starting the uphill climb back to normal.