OK, the Victorian state of emergency has now been extended to the end of May with no relaxation of any restrictions. That being said, as new clusters emerge, testing has also been stepped up, and it's this high testing rate that will enable the restrictions to be eased. Excitingly, it's just been announced this morning that cafés, restaurants and the dining area of pubs will be allowed to have a maximum of 20 patrons for each enclosed area (1 person per m²) from 1-Jun. This will then be increased to 50 from 22-Jun and to 100 from mid-July. Contact details (name, number and address) need to be provided though for contact-tracing purposes and 1.5m social distancing needs to be observed. Finally I can eat out again from next month and I can't say I'm not missing that even as a not-very-social person.
There will be more government announcements to come regarding another thing I'm very concerned about, which is the re-opening of gyms. Whilst I'm surviving for now with my home workouts using an exercise band as well as my regular jogs around the neighbourhood, the yearning to resume this love-hate relationship of going-to-the-gym-versus-procrastination is growing rapidly. Good news from the government is predicated on the results from the recent tests becoming available (and of course coming back as negative) and so my fingers are crossed.
In the mean time, here's the next post of my "Through Facebook" series. In my trips back to Singapore, I spend most of the time wandering around alone listening to music which is something that gives me peace. I do that a lot also because my friends are all working during business hours and so I'm left on my own. While exploring the new parts (e.g. shopping centres) and re-connecting with the old and familiar (e.g. my favourite eateries), I document what I feel on Facebook and below is part one of those posts (part two is here). The most significant one is the witnessing of a solar eclipse for the first time in my life but alas both my phone camera and vantage point weren't good enough to do it justice.
It wasn't as dramatic as I expected because the halo was too bright and obscured the moon's shadow but here you go, a solar eclipse for your viewing pleasure. I guess there's a first time (and likely last time) for everything.
I always get a tinge of sadness when I'm here. The brazen opulence barely within the reach of most locals yet is what these rats running on their wheels are constantly striving for. And the just-legal models sporting the crazy-expensive gear are totally not in the age group of those actually buying the stuff. Alas in this ultra-unrealistic setting festers the very real issue of rising income disparity between the rich and the poor.
PS: For those unaware back in Australia, Marina Bay Sands is The Crown on steroids.
Wow. For those who are into everything Japanese, this place must give them orgasms. #JapanInSingapore
Only in Asia I guess where spam is considered "normal" food. #SeenInSevenEleven
PS: Thank goodness I had my beauty sleep that night.
Topped up $30 on my Singtel prepaid to buy 5GB of data without knowing that a $30 top-up entitles me to 35GB of free data!!! Now I have 40GB of data for the rest of my 19 days in Singapore!!! How am I going to finish using it up?!?!
I feel great every time I manage to avoid spending money but holding a bag containing a freshly-shopped non-essential purchase while walking in public makes me happy too. This happiness has nothing to do with material-ownership and everything to do with the fact that I can finally fit in with the rest of the materialistic populace.
"Best" Grindr message ever. #LeftWasProfilePic #RightWasTongueInCheekIHope
PS: At this rate, maybe in 20 years' time, Singapore might be a good place to retire in? I hardly doubt so though.
PS: Nothing in Singapore will take off without government support and of course that applies to PrEP-education as well.
"Giving old folks no choice but to continue working past retirement in the face of rising cost of living" repackaged in a feel-good campaign poster. #EverywhereInSingapore #IsThisEvilOrTheBestWayToDealWithAnAgeingPopulation
I'm in multiple long beaureaucratic lines now to renew my passport. I know I can do it online and save $10 but I'm old fashioned and prefer to do it over the counter and get it within the same day. #IGotTimeToBurnButThisIsStillAPain
I was at Jurong Point yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at their Mongkok section and Japan Street which are both new to me.
PS: I was so thankful I did all the required recordings before this happened. It took me quite a while to recover my voice fully (it's still not 100% recovered even now!).
I'm very impressed by these new public buses with the charging ports (only on the lower deck though), stop display screens and two wheelchair spots. Strangely there is minimal advertising on the bodies of these new models which means the company is consciously forgoing advertising revenue and this doesn't seem right. Anyone knows why?
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