I love working from home, but I do miss the office and my colleagues.
Especially when we need to bounce ideas off each other. Or the bantering during meals while maintaining ‘physical distancing’.
I feel I am more productive when I am sitting in the comfort of my bedroom, but being stuck at home this time around, is starting to get to me.
There were times I stared blankly at the laptop, knowing I had deadlines to meet, but the fingers would not budge.
It is strange. I did not feel this way during the original Movement Control Order (MCO) in March 2020. Then, we spent nearly 90 days away from the office.
My colleague, Amar Qastellani Tajuddin, is another who loves working from home. But last week, said he too, wanted to go to the office to break the monotony.
My Home Minister was going crazy working from home and went to work the whole of this week – even though she had to endure two swab tests.
For the record, all of us have the appropriate letters from the relevant authorities.
A friend suggested we could be suffering from ennui – “a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement”.
It could be true. I felt ‘refreshed’ three weeks ago when I volunteered at a vaccination centre in Setia Alam. Although tiring, there was a sense of fulfilment in helping others.
I had the same feeling on Wednesday when I spoke to an elderly gentleman who enjoyed the sunshine while stretching his limbs outside a vaccination centre at UiTM, Shah Alam.
Perhaps, it was the thrill of doing something different which got me excited.
Or perhaps, like the gentleman I interviewed, I was out in the sunshine and feeling a little free.
I have friends who were glad their vaccination appointments were far from their homes – as that was the only time they could go for long drives.
Many are at a stage where, while afraid of the new, deadlier strains of the coronavirus, are going out of their minds staying at home.
The third MCO started on May 7 and the ‘full’ MCO on June 1, but there is no end in sight as to when we can finally be ‘free’.
SIMPLY HORRIFIC
Today is the 487th day Malaysia has been under some form of MCO.
Sadly, we are at our lowest points since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indications are, it might even get worse.
Here are the sobering stats.
In the past week, we have had 75,485 new cases, including hitting the five-figure mark four days in a row, including a record 13,215 on Thursday.
That brought the total to 893,323 cases.
We have also had 748 deaths, including three-digits fatalities for five consecutive days – Monday to yesterday. Total fatalities stand at 6,728.
We can argue where we went wrong, or who is to blame, but that would not solve the problem.
The good news is that 41,349 patients were declared free of the coronavirus, which means 772,542 or 86.48 per cent were cured.
Worldwide, there are 189.9 million cases and nearly 4.1 million deaths.
SO SAD
If this does not break your heart, nothing will.
Ya Allah…sayu hati kami di keheningan malam tadi, kali pertama menerima jenazah Covid-19 termuda bayi lelaki berusia 38 minggu di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Raudhatul Sakinah KL-Karak, Taman Selaseh. Difahamkan ibunya kini masih bertarung nyawa di ICU. pic.twitter.com/4FjL3dcoiV
— JAWI Official (@myJAWIKL) July 13, 2021
SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT
Received this via WhatsApp: What do you call a person in charge of a vaccine centre? A ‘superpfizer’. I am filing this under ‘Dad jokes’.
TIPS FOR DISPOSING OF A FACE MASK
SPANISH ‘FRIED RICE’
I have friends who refer to paella as Spanish fried rice. While not entirely true, I guess you could say it is the ‘same, but different’. Here are nine ways to make the best paella ever.
TEA ON THE GO
Twentytwo13 reader P. Kuganeson shared that there is a stall behind Mydin in Klang, where you can drive up and buy a cup of masala tea for RM1. I could use a cuppa now.
SPANISH PIPEDREAM
Spanish Pipedream was released on John Prine’s debut album 50 years ago. Prine, who was a mailman before becoming a singer, collected pebbles along his route. He said every time someone said something stupid on television, he would throw some at the screen.
If I adopted the same habit, I would be buying a new television or laptop every week.
Stay safe, folks.
