Covid Experience : Part 1 - The Incident

1. It was my 1 year anniversary working here in PH, and i started to fall ill with diarrheas and slight fever. Perhaps due to home sickness, or just loosing my guard and eventually i fall victim to the in-trend covid-19.
2. I felt something in my throat after my regular gym session on Tuesday （10th Aug). The next day it developed into sore throat and mild fever. I am expecting my immune body to fight and prevail this fight against the bacteria/virus as usual but this time i succumb to the illness after 1 week.
3. On Saturday i felt the sore throat and fever go worst, and so i went to the pharmacy to get some medicine, oxy meter, thermometer and also to the nearby stall to get some fruits. On the following Monday (16th Aug), i felt my situation getting worst and i had informed my superior and HR that i am not coming for work. The HR manager came to me and inform me that, in the case that i need to admit to hospital, i will need to do covid test and in the event i am tested positive, i will have to undergo quarantine for 2 weeks with no pay. It seems like a warning to me to not get treatment unless i willing to forego my pay.
4. I lost of my appetite and cannot sleep well in the night due to the fever and breathing difficulties. I am worry of the breathing difficulties as i had asthma when i was young. My fever is the worst on Tuesday night and on Wednesday i thought i felt better and went to the canteen to get some breakfast.
5. As i was sitting down on the table, my vision started to turn whiter and brighter. The longer i sat the worst it became. It was then i decide i need to start walking back to my dorm to rest. As i was walking to return the cup to the collection table, i can barely see the face of the people around me as everything is so white and bright. It was a blessing in disguise as when i was walking back to my dorm, with some motion, my vision started to improve and back to normal. I guess this is what happen when people starting to faint. I believe this is the signal that God had given me that, although my fever had subside, and my sense of smell had recover a little but everything is still not ok yet.
6. With some pressure and persuasion from my family, i had decided to alert the HR and Dorm assistant that i may need medical attention because i had difficulties in breathing. The nurse from the factory came, did some checking and informed that all my vital signs are ok. I insisted that i need to check on my lung as i had breathing difficulties. Nevertheless, they can only arrange to seek for medical attention the next day as it is already late in the afternoon.
7. The next day (Thu), i felt better as the fever had totally subside, and i am also hoping my body can recover slowly by itself (so that i do need to do covid testing, quarantine and loose my daily wage). Thus i had informed the dorm assistant that let's monitor one more day.
8. My sleep is not well over the past few days and on Friday afternoon after watching youtube of uncle 

Injuring Oneself

1) It was a usual lazy Sunday afternoon which i decided to walk out to the main street to get some coconut to chill myself up. On my way back, a mis-step and i fall down on all four where my right knee was bruised and bleeding. 

2)  Its been quite some time since the last time i fall down and injuring myself. The sensation of pain, swollen knee, the wound and blood suddenly make me very alive. A sense of "Now" felt deep within me. I know some people might think i am psychopath at this point, but believe me, i just like to overthink things, that is just me.

3) Almost 8 months i am here in The Philippines. It was the longest time in my life till date that i have not met up with my family and friends. Of course at times i will be moody, i felt all alone and helpless nevertheless the 10 years i spent in Penang had definitely helped me in facing this challenge. Summing up in one word, just don't think about it.

4) I remembered the first few years when i was in Penang in year 2010, i spent quite a few Sunday night in one of the internet cafe in Chai Leng Park, checking mail, feeling myself and writing blog. Since these few years, i have not been updating blog that often. The whole purpose of maintaining a blog is to express and record my feeling and my life journey and it all stated in 2009.

5) Often times i will have some complain about the life "now", and often times i will be worried about the future, what is my life is like in the future after this phase in the PH. Worrying the future, and not living in the "Now" enough is often the mistake i made. The fall this afternoon, the wound and the pain sensation just helped to remind me again, to live the "Now".

6) With all those years spent in Penang and growing wiser in the process, i knew all too well the importance and the power of now. Just sometime i will fall back, drown in the sea of overthinking, over worrying. Nevertheless, i am glad that i can kept the consciousness and alert enough every time to keep things in check. This bleeding knee just came in a time to remind me, time is limited, cherish what we have and given.

7) Many people asked about how am i here, i often answered work is fine just life with no family and friends is a bit stressful. Indeed that is what i can summed up here. Nothing much i can do here as the Covid cases are still looming large around the world. I just kept telling myself, time will come for me to reunite with my loved one. I am here now to make me realized and learn about the importance of family and friends to me. Teaching me to cherish and appreciate life as it is. Hence, worry no more, just enjoy and appreciate life as it is.

8) With the cases in PH climbing to the region of 7k cases per day, let's pray that everyone can be safe and sound, keep their guard up. Adapting and learning the solitary life here again at different level. Nevertheless, thank god there is internet and video call at my time. Just can't imagine how earlier people kept in touch using letters. Again, i must cherish it.