I am just receiving last "release" paperwork I need as I write this!!! (there I can understand only my name and numbers.... for the rest, some mandarin lessons will be required!)
Today is the 14th day since I arrived to Shanghai. So any time after 14:40 I will be asked to leave the room.
The packing is done, I am ready to meet my love 
What experience brought me the time in quarantine?
I am grateful for:
- I was finally able to board the plane in Frankfurt 15 days ago!
- There are many things that could not work in my favour. Like if I would be tested positive a day before the flight! Not to mention all the process (not only on the regulations China is having for foreign workers) that delayed my departure for about 3-4 months.
- good sized room
- 2 beds in the room (remember – no room service!)
- bathtub, besides the shower, in the bathroom (for my spa days 🙂 )
- super delicious food (especially dinners and lunches, but breakfast was also very interesting)
- big window (so that I was able to enjoy the view to the outside world)
- Having time to do my art!
- Learning something new – WordPress, so you are able to read this lines!
- I did not have time to start learning Mandarin – this will be my next BIG project! I am very humble…. And hope I will be able to start communicate with local people at least a little bit in due time!
- Finding the new yoga teacher (just a day before my half time here). I just love the flow he is putting together in his sessions.
What could be better:
- No quarantine!
- Of course, this is not in my hands. But it would be awesome!
- Balcony! And some green plants. (If course this is all depending, which hotel you are sent to – again, nothing one can influence.)
- Window in my room was stuck and could not be opened. (I really missed a bit of the “fresh” air. Even though at this time here is rainy season and often very humid, but I do not mind humidity.) Note that, if not REALLY urgent, no-one is entering your room while you are in quarantine. And in this case, my air con was working perfectly fine, so no urgency.
- Hot water was now and then not reaching my floor. Just for a minute or so (probably when many were using hot water on the same vertical water installation), but the first time this happened, I just shampooed my hair under the shower. You are familiar with Mr. Kneipp or? So this hotel is offering the hot/cold water treatment for free ;-)! It was actually very refreshing and my hairdresser always washes off my hair with cold water anyway. So nothing too dramatic (typically I finish my showering with cold water anyway!).
- Oh, I nearly forgot :), you cannot get any cleaning appliances to the room. I was asking for a vacuum cleaner, but could not get it. Therefore I ordered some tape online (ok, a Chinese friend did it!) and it did the work quite well (ok, I did the work!) 🙂
- Anything else??? I thought I will have more, but actually – I was quite happy here all in all.
What should you bring to a quarantine (in case you need to do it!):
Positive attitude!
Feeling sorry for yourself and being bored does not help.
14 days are 14 days.
It is your own choice, how you will spend the time.
Something you like to do
… and then do it 🙂
Think of something you ‘never have time to do’ but deep down, you always wanted to do… 14 days are all yours! Maybe if you want to build a boat, you are a bit limited… but, maybe you can build just a little one? Or make a plan, how you will build it, when you will have the adequate space and tools? You get my point here, don’t you! (I was switching from oil painting to watercolour for this reason.)
For me:
- … it was painting and
- setting up the internet page (which I wanted to do already some years ago, but never really set down and did it!)
- I had an idea to study mandarin and drawing the signs (and having them hanged around the room to remember them), but I did not do it at the end, as I was completely “absorbed” with the painting and www page, so I did not have much more free time to do a lot of other things.
- I had brought also some sewing with me – you know, the stuff that is collecting on a pile somewhere in the house throughout the year (in my case in the washroom in the basement)
- something a bit “crazy” – like my “spa days” is also an option (I am sure also men can have some version of “me time” :)! )
A knife
…and cutlery, if you do not want to eat with the chopsticks all the time, or you would need a spoon to stir something you are bringing with you
Sports ‘equipment’
I brought a thin yoga mat (traveling friendly) and the jumping rope (which I never used!)
Dish soap. (And a sponge)
If you want to clean your cups now and then. Nothing comes with the room!
Washing detergent
Unless you pack enough for the full time, you maybe need to wash a thing or two in 14 days…I packed plenty (did I mentioned my overweight suitcases already?!?!) – washing detergent including but did not need to use it. If anything will be missing for the next 9 days of Shanghai – I will be able to get it washed in some laundry facility.
Something you like to drink (tea, coffee, multivitamin tablets…)
The room is having a water heater and cups (I have 2 cups and 2 glasses in the bathroom) – and that’s it. You get a pack e.g. 20 à 1/2 litre of bottled water. My room did not have a refrigerator, but to be honest, I did not miss it. I decided not to have coffee during my quarantine (as I drink it always with milk – and milk is a tricky thing to bring with you, if you are not fond of dehydrated options or creamers), so I packed tea with me and it worked perfectly well.
Did I mention positive attitude already??
“You do your best and you forget the rest!”
The Qube in FengXiang, you were a good quarantine host!
Thanks, XieXie, for having me.
This view from my window was taken yesterday morning – a beautiful sunrise was greeting me as I woke up really early. Simply beautiful.
I hope you enjoyed my ‘diary from the quarantine’…
Looking very much forward to reading your comments!