Staying in my square-meter world

Photo from Unsplash

Since my WFH started, when the line of work and life became almost non-existent, my weekends and time-offs are more important to me than ever. Like a prisoner on parole, I definitely look forward to going out on my day-offs even if the risk of catching Covid is there. 

In my defense, I need it to treat my anxiety from being cooped up in the house for days (which is true) and I had to refresh. Walking is my main form of exercise; going to the mall and doing a little shopping is the easiest way for me to hit that 10,000 steps. Often I treat myself to a nice lunch, or maybe just sit at my favorite coffee shop and fritter the day away—all while making sure I follow the basic protocols strictly. 

But with the speedy surge that’s been happening in Metro Manila, even an “itchy feet” like me would choose to stay home if my reason for going out is not important. Yesterday, the number of new cases hit 5,000—the highest it has ever been since August of last year and experts predict it could go as high as 7,000 daily infections in the coming days. 

These Uncertain Times

Photo by Dev Asangbam on Unsplash

Every day there’s not-so-good news for me. If you don’t believe me, read on.

There’s a steep rise in the cases of COVID-19 possibly due to the mutations of the virus and the easing of some restrictions. In our city alone, we have cases of the UK and the South African virus which is said to spread more quickly. Doctors are no longer seeing individual cases but family clustering in hospitals which means the contagion now affects the entire household. A very close guy friend was tested positive just recently (thankfully he’s only experiencing mild symptoms). 

Even with the vaccines, I don’t see this COVID problem getting resolved soon. We have yet to observe if these vaccines would actually work and many people are hesitant to get inoculated because of the supposed side effects. Many frontliners were also declining vaccines from China and would rather wait for other options. While declining is their absolute right, this would also cause so many delays. 

So yes—I or someone I know can still get it. No one is in the clear yet.

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Bingeing on YT videos

Photo by Creative Christians on Unsplash

I’ve been planning to subscribe to Netflix for months and months now but I also want to replace the TV in my room first before I do that. I don’t think I can watch a full movie or a series on my laptop (or cellphone) for long periods without it straining my already-swollen eyes. 

The Skyworth TV in my room is about to die anytime soon, which is why I’ve been canvassing a replacement since October last year. I don’t have the moolah to buy high-end ones, so I’ve been eyeing this moderately-priced TCL 32-inch Android TV which costs about 12K. My plan was to do a partial cash-out and just do a monthly installment for the balance (I can’t pay it all in cash, not when I still have a lot of bills to think about). Hopefully soon, I will get that brand-new TV and finally the Netflix subscription.