"I don't mean to blame, but this Pandemic has ruined my plans" - by Yulia Sutjahjono

(Created by Indra Permana)

Let's begin with something that I've been planned in the end of December 2019. I was planning to go to Taiwan by the middle of February to visit one of my Taiwanese close friend as well as visiting my former mentor (from my voluntary mission in Germany) who was doing his internship in Taipei.

Actually in early December 2019, I've read news online from VOA Indonesia, it stated that there was new corona virus initially came from Wuhan, China, which is an epicenter of the outbreak.

All I was thinking, just: "May be that is only in China, especially in Wuhan, and it stays there, then it's gone very soon". But, heyyy I'm wrong, totally wrong! And maybe everybody also has guessed the same way as I thought. Turned out, the virus deployed very fast and far, up to 15 countries in the first couple weeks in January, included Taiwan.

Watching that situation, I started to rethink about my trip, whether I am going or not. Meanwhile, in the end of December, I actually already booked the flight ticket (Jakarta-Taipei via Singapore) and also got printed Visa on Arrival form which I should exchange it into an official one as soon I land in Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (as supposed to).

However the news about Corona Virus or Covid-19 have gotten more serious in the next several days, particularly around 24-25 of January or on the Chinese New Year cause people were going for celebrating CNY, both in China or outside the country. The deployment also gone wider. And my trip plan to Taiwan was actually on February 12-17th 2020. So, it was technically around 3 weeks before my actual departure.

Therefore, day by day, I was thinking about that. In one hand, I really want to go. This is my great chance to do a reunion with them in Taiwan, otherwise it would be hard to find a good time and great chance to meet them anytime soon, moreover to my former mentor who basically still live in Europe and he needs to go back to his home country after finish his internship and don't know when he will come back to Asia. But in the other hands, I don't want to risk myself directly 'attacking' the virus on the way to Taiwan.

The thing that made me so nervous, afraid, and worry, is that I will transfer in Changi Airport Singapore because my flight supposed to be with Flyscoot and surely it will transfer from Singapore before flying to Taipei. Then, I kept following up about the latest update of the outbreak in Singapore, or how serious was the outbreak in Singapore at that moment. Then, I watched a news, they said in Changi Airport, beside the security which is pretty strict during this pandemic, a passenger who got a high temperature above 37-38 degrees Celsius, they should be stopped and cannot continue the flight to the final destination. That absolutely made me so worry and surely think twice. Of that, I started to consider and might have a decision to not going.

Besides, based on my experience, I got sick when I got home from Germany after I finished my voluntary mission on August 2018. After the long haul from Frankfurt to Singapore, at Changi while waiting for the next flight to Jakarta, I got sick immediately cause I hydrated and because the weather in Frankfurt and Singapore are absolutely different. So, I would say that my body got shocked and didn't adapt over it very well. So, I got sick during my flight from Singapore to Jakarta back then, which was not ideal and very handful.

Second experience, when I traveled to Vietnam after visiting my cousin who did exchange semester in Thai Nguyen Vietnam on October 2019, I got Conjunctivitis or as well known as Pink Eye on my right eye while flying back home. I assumed that it was happened while transferring in Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport or instead when landed in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The doctor said that it might be from the airport, even though she didn't know which one it was. I didn't know either. But she said it must be from the airport because at the airport there are so many people from many places, not to mention with the condition where I didn't keep myself clean or paying attention to keep my hands hygiene etc, so it was actually my mistake not being able to keep my body as clean as possible, especially hands.

From those experiences, somehow, I kinda traumatized but also learned from the past that bad thing could be happened at the airport ever again, especially in the middle of pandemic like this. Thus, I summed up, this is definitely non-sense to go to Taiwan at this moment, particularly transferring in Changi Singapore. So these two things were being my next consideration to not going.

Two weeks before my departure, I was in the middle of YES or NO for continuing my plan to go to Taiwan. Apart from my consideration above, I kinda pushed myself like "No, I should get going, no matter what!". I even bought couple packs of face mask and consumed high quality vitamin, just in case and prepare myself to increase my body immunity.

But then, bad news came over, my mom got sick and needed to be hospitalized for couple days. Shitly, the insurance couldn't cover it, and long-story short, my family faced a little unlucky situation financially. I feel so sorry to my mom and dad to face kind of situation. Regardless, I kinda still have an ambition as well as possessing a boldness to still going.

The only thing that made me so "give in" with the situation, was because I have a little lower body metabolism and also own an inherited respiratory illness (asthma). The experts said, when people have some inherited or recorded respiratory illness, the risk to get infection is pretty high. Of which, if I got contagious by the virus (I hope it would never) and my body couldn't fight against it, I could get infected by the disease. Of that, I decided to not going. Yes, I CANCELLED my trip. I cried a river at the same time. Trying to pretend this was a nightmare, but it is so real. I was sad, still sad though. Until now, somehow I can't get rid of such a distress.

The days I supposed to go have gone by. I keep doing my life, my day as usual, especially my job. Because I am a Copywriter of Corporate Annual Report, January-March or early period of the year is the busiest moment all the time, so I was packed with my unstoppable workloads and needed to keep focusing on my works, even though still losing my spirit cause of the trip cancellation.

Anyway, if you wanna know how many Covid-19 cases in Indonesia by that moment I was cancelling my trip? Zero! Yes, we got zero cases at the beginning. HOWEVER, in the early March, the government announced that Indonesia has 2 first cases of positive corona-virus disease and initially was in Jakarta, the city where I live. Everything changed, everybody got panicking, the people even did panic buying which is not really necessary. And day by day, the case is increased from 2 to 17 and 30 something and now (by early April), Indonesia has around 1.700 cases (I hope it will stopped immediately!)

Therefore, the Jakarta Government issued a policy of work from home (WFH) for any companies, especially office-based corporate, such as my workplace, as well as studying online for all level of education, included universities. So, it's been almost 3 weeks I am working remotely and stay temporarily at my parents house (technically I rent a room that close to my workplace), at least after the situation gets better. Yeah, I really hope it will be very very very soon!

Day by day, besides working, I keep following up the news about Covid-19 from Instagram, television, or many platforms, especially how to survive in this situation, what we could do during the quarantine, etc. I also keep in touch with a bunch of friends and family members and ensuring that they are all doing well. Almost all of us staying at home, except several friends who are working as nurse, doctor, even my dad still needs to go outside cause he's currently handling a renovation project and he said if he stops the project, he feels sorry for the workers who basically needs daily-based income for supporting their life. Anyway, I feel sorry for them who cannot really stay at home at this moment. My pray always for them. I hope God always make us safe and sound, wherever we are.

It's still going, it's still happening. I hope this is just a dream, a nightmare, but it isn't. This is a reality that we have to face.

I still wonder and trying to figure out what is the bright side of all of this. At first, I was furious, disappointed, angry to what happens right now. But I gave in everything to God. I believe He is good, He has His own script over this situation.

Until one day, turned out, I realized something. I know this pandemic is a very serious situation that makes people's life going harder than before. But one thing that I am really sure it is supposed to be happened, where the Earth can take a breath for a while. Human are so greedy, using motorbikes and cars everyday to go to work or anywhere, thus make new pollution everyday. Hmm let's say in my home country, especially in the big city like Jakarta, everyone keep using their own vehicles to go to work, 1 car for 1 man, whereas the Government already provided public transportation to decrease the pollution and traffic jam. But still, it keeps being like that almost all the time.

With this pandemic, we insist people to stay at home. Cannot go outside, unless in emergency situation or just buying grocery. A couple days ago, when I went outside to supply my grocery, along the way to supermarket, it was surprising for me, because it was very quiet. No traffic jam, less pollution. So yeah, here we are, I found one of a bright side from the current situation we are encountering. We need to take a break to help the earth, to help our mother nature inhaling a good air ever again. And I'm sure, it is not only happening in Indonesia, it is happening to all nations in the entire world, from Asia to Middle East, then to Europe, to Africa, then to North America and South America, even to North and South Pole. The entire Earth planet can breath now.

Another bright side that I found, is, the experts in Indonesia believe that spices which Indonesians consume everyday, could help us against the virus. Particularly to a special drink called "Jamu". Jamu is an Indonesian traditional drink made from spices such as ginger, turmeric, tamarind, cinnamon, etc. Many people, especially people in my age or younger, they consider that Jamu is an old-school drink. Well, I do like it, and I drink it almost everyday. But people would judge me like "Hey Yulia, are you serious to drink that stuff? How old are you anyway?". I feel like people are mocking over Jamu or underestimate me to drink Jamu, well it's not my first to confront with that anyway. But now, with this pandemic, I am 100% sure, all Indonesian people started to drink Jamu. I believe that the revenue of Jamu sellers out there, has increased significantly. How fascinating!

Beside, with #stayathome policy for instance, we, who always focus on our job, our personal affair, our drama, etc, we can also take a break from all of that. We can be closer to our family, chit-chat more often to them, even only by using video call or just texting with them who are very far from us. I would say, we can be more attached with one of each other. Isn't it?

I know it's hard to keep staying at home. It could get us stressful 24/7 only at home. I know we want to meet our besties or the beloved ones, go outside, traveling, hang out in cafes, even have fun at theme park, but heeeyyy, this is just a temporary. We can do this together. We can fight against the virus, fighting to kick the pandemic out of our life. This unlucky thing must be over very very soon. And the better life will come along to us, very soon too!

Keep healthy, keep hydrated, stay sane, and stay safe! We can do it!

Yulia Sutjahjono

Jakarta, April 5th 2020