Shopping In Times of Corona

Kerana Corona, I don’t sleep-in during weekends. I have no choice because it takes just a fraction of a minute to determine if I spend the rest of the day waiting for my turn to get into the supermarket. I drag myself out of bed to prepare myself to the battlefield of the Ketua Rumah kind before even taking breakfast. I strap that mask across my face and load up my disinfectant wipes. Trousers which will have to go straight into the washing machine after this trip, have to have pockets for me to slip in my credit cards, cash, handphone and contain my car keys. My handbag has forgotten how it is like to go out with me because I cannot risk having her touching things nearby especially if her owner can sometimes lose her grace. The hair has to be pinned up so that it doesn’t sweep on any surface. The night before, I will call for any last orders in the family because I will not be able return home till the dusk if I were to re-queue.

Despite the fuss of getting out of the house, I have to admit that ticking items off the shopping list is therapeutic. But the therapy is short-lived because checking out of the supermarket requires another heave of energy. Pushing items from the cart to the counter while making sure they don’t fall off the other end and keeping an eye of on the items scanned so that they won’t be mistakenly keyed in twice amid the heap of groceries that I created requires some effort. Then there is that moment when I have to dump everything into the trolley quickly so that I don’t keep the cashier and the next person in line waiting in frustration. After that only can I push the wobbly trolley to my car just to pass by a couple who decided to do grocery shopping in pairs.

Although grocery shopping is different now, it is nothing compared to what our frontliners are doing. I feel grateful that my basic necessities can still be met while gawking at the people who unabashedly flout the MCO rules.

The Result of Hoarding at Times of Covid-19

My heart aches as I look at the photo that was taken by a very discerning eye. Two perfectly unopened loaves of bread just thrown away! This is what happens when you literally bite off more than you can chew.

Hoarding is a truely selfish act. It means you rather have those extra food to satisfy your eyes than to let others eat!

If even corona virus cannot teach them kindness, tell me what can. I cannot help feeling at times that humans bring all these upon ourselves.

2 unopened loaves of bread spotted in the dustbin
Photo from https://www.worldofbuzz.com/dont-hoard-food-two-unopened-loaves-of-gardenia-bread-were-found-thrown-into-rubbish-bin/?fbclid=IwAR3SQMPt51ee_qeiR_kEPduuC1j0tAC0l6GRBHguW-XZJPNdCZsoPKekPpE

View original article in https://www.worldofbuzz.com/dont-hoard-food-two-unopened-loaves-of-gardenia-bread-were-found-thrown-into-rubbish-bin/?fbclid=IwAR3SQMPt51ee_qeiR_kEPduuC1j0tAC0l6GRBHguW-XZJPNdCZsoPKekPpE

When Corona Virus Conspires with Poverty and Hunger Against Humans

The Covid19 lockdown is most probably the worst thing that some of us have to endure in our lifetime. Footprints restricted to the compounds of the house, now likened to a penitentiary. Recreation freedom is curtailed. Food stock is to be rationed within the family. Grocery shopping becomes a pain, requiring extra gear of masks and gloves before leaving home, abundance of patience during and thorough sanitazation after. Boredom expedites your slow 'death'. You actually know the amount of grains in your rice jar. You are out of fresh movies on Netflicks. Such a torture staying home. Can anything be worse?

The so called "torture" you are facing is luxury to some. Daily wage workers experience this adversity in ways fixed salary workers can never imagine. What seem to be a frustration to those who have a roof above their heads is what some can only dream of. Those living from hand to mouth find their survival system collapsing. Unpaid rents and bills force them onto the streets. Without shelter, there is not much of staying home that can be done, exposing them to illnesses. It doesn't take the notorious Covid19 to claim their lives. Those hanging on the brink of health have to endure hunger. People with hands that roll breads everyday have to beg for bread now. Forget about medicine and health supplements when all they can afford is to line up for food from the government. They may not even survive for the virus to reach them.

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