The value of celebrating special occasions

Now that I don't go out as much, my life has become a lot more routine. Not in a bad way, but in a sort of predictable way. I know what my day will be like at the start and at the end. I quite enjoy each part of my day at the moment, but every couple of days I feel the need to add a "fun element" in. 

In the past, the "fun element", like going out for a movie, a drink, an activity, a hike or to a new restaurant would happen so often that I never felt like I needed it because it was always available to me. 

Now, that going out is harder and options for fun activities more limited, I find myself wanting to switch things up every few days, such as wanting to order in food, watch a movie, have a glass of wine at the end of the day. These are all things I consider fairly simple, but they aren't things I do everyday, and therefore they are unique and fun for me in my current phase of life. 

It made me think about how traditionally, birthdays, anniversaries, promotions were celebrated by going out for a fancy meal, seeing loved ones and so on. Until now, I didn't really see the need for a special celebration when those things happen, because I found myself going out for meals and seeing loved ones every week regardless of whether there was something to celebrate. A boring week was as good a reason to go out as was a good week. 

However, being in this period where we can't see our loved ones or go out, I can see why celebrations can be special, especially for those who don't see their loved ones or spurge on dining out as much as I would do. 

It certainly makes those occasions more unique and special. 

Would this lead to me going out less or celebrating special occasions more? I don't know yet, but it certainly makes me appreciate the mini-celebrations I used to have every few days in my pre-covid life! 

Quarantine: Pushing the walls outward

I've been reading a wonderful book called Gentleman in Moscow, which is about a man put under house arrest in a hotel for 40 years. It's been very relevant as we all finish our own quarantine sentence on the accounts of covid. 

At one point, the main character who is quarantined recognises that he has the choice to either have the walls of the hotel push inwards and make his world smaller, or push the walls outward until they his world expands, into the city of Moscow, Russia and eventually the whole wide world. It is then that he adopts a more curious and exploratory mode towards his life under house arrest.

Seeing friends and family go through this period of quarantine, I notice parallels in the attitude individuals adopt when they are locked inside their homes. 

There are the kind who are downright upset about having to stay home, and spend a fair amount of time complaining on social media about the negative implications of a lockdown, whether it is for themselves, or for the larger society. In some countries, people even go so far as to protest in the streets against lockdown. Some of these are the rebels who challenge the status quo for logical reasons, while the others are just venting their frustration because they do not like this change in their life. 

There is another type, the kind who are not actively complaining or miserable, but are in a state of limbo. They are trying to find temporary hobbies to keep themselves entertained and pass this time. They are not happy or unhappy, and are patiently waiting for the time that this quarantine comes to an end and life goes back to normal. 

And then there are the kind who are using these times as opportunities to do social good for society, or even just for themselves. I really admire these people, for two reasons. Firstly, their resilience is so admirable  - they are adapting to the situation and accepting the new reality quickly. Secondly, they are not just finding ways to adjust, but they are finding ways to excel in this new environment by spotting opportunity. 

I came across a few examples of this that I really liked: 

1. A NUS medical school graduate builds a tool to help doctors communicate with Bangladeshi migrants who are being treated for COVID: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/covid-19-nus-medical-graduate-bengali-translators-workers-12650406
2. Virtual meditation course by my yoga teacher. With his studio closed until the circuit breaker ends, he now devotes time to virtual lessons and programs, that came up overnight: https://priyan.yoga/events/2020/4/16/meditation-with-priyan-seven-day-livestreaming-intensive 
3. Coursera launched a tool that matches courses on it's platform that are similar to university courses that were supposed to be offered this semester. It's wonderful that students whose universities don't have enough resources to put courses online can use this to still keep learning: https://campustechnology.com/articles/2020/04/15/coursera-machine-learning-tool-matches-on-campus-courses-with-mooc-resources.aspx 
4. Masterclass offers 1 for 1 annual passes. This isn't an innovation per se, but it is kind of them to offer such massive discounts. A lot of their courses are so apt for quarantine! https://www.t3.com/au/news/2-for-1-on-masterclass-streaming-courses-to-help-you-get-more-from-lockdown
5. Similarly, Linkedin Learning offered free courses on remote working for companies that were transitioning to WFH: https://sva.edu/features/tips-for-remote-work-and-study-view-these-linked-in-learning-videos-with-your-sva-login
6. Grab Food started offering island wide delivery for some restaurants in Singapore, which is a wonderful way to expand business for restaurants that are suffering at the moment. Not to mention, their increased demand for delivery was solved by their reduced demand for ride sharing: https://www.grab.com/sg/press/others/close-to-800-fb-establishments-on-grabfood-now-available-for-islandwide-delivery/

The only way you can start spotting new opportunities is by fully accepting the new reality as it is and embracing it. I love how all these companies and individuals have adapted so quickly and not just survived a brutal pandemic so far, but thrived and helped the community strive.