Deja Vu

While lockdowns and closures appear to be in the rearview of most Western countries, being here in Hong Kong feels like we are back in 2020 again. With a fifth wave ‘raging’ (when i say raging we are talking 140 cases TOTAL discovered, and around 13,000 cases with 200 deaths through the whole pandemic), lockdowns are back in the books. First, they closed all gyms, leisure centres and children’s playgrounds, vowing that they would keep schools open. Less than a week after this claim, we are once again back to online school and google meets where our children’s only interaction with their teachers are via a screen. poor V’s playgroups have all bern cancelled as well. Thankfully, having spent most of Covid in England where schools were prioritised (rightly), we have only had to endure a few months of online schooling. We may soon experience the online fatigue that everyone here has had to already endure the last two years. The government has announced that in order for schools to resume, 70 percent MUST be vaccinated. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate for the elderly who are actually susceptible to the virus hovers around 20 percent. These unvaccinated are allowed to roam about sharing meals at dim sum restaurants with no mandates to get vaccinated. While most Western countries (and really everyone i know with kids) have already vaccinated their kids, the Pfizer vaccine will only be introduced in February, and the pediatric version is not fully approved - they just plan to administer 1/3 the adult dose.

Hong Kong is truly an island in every sense of the word, as the rest of society has decided that we must live with Covid, here the government continues to try to snuff out every instance of infection. This has ofcourse made us feel very safe going about our daily life until now. But with the virus rearing its head, and increased compulsory testing requirements, everyone here lives in fear of being tagged as a close contact and being sent to government quarantine. In fact, people here are more afraid of being labeled a ’close contact’ and being thrown in Penny’s Bay, the government quarantine facility, than actually contracting the virus. I spoke to a mom recently who said she was ok with schools being closed because she could not imagine her child spending two weeks at PB.

This past weekend marked two years since Covid hit here, and somehow nothing has changed. In fact, if anything, even more countries have been banned, the quarantine for incoming travellers (if they even qualify to enter after lengthy ’washouts’ in other countries, has increased and become more onerous with a mandatory few days at the government quarantine facility that S and i were so lucky to have experienced. Over the last few days, entire apartment buildings have been locked down for days, with residents being prohibited from leaving, even to get daily essentials.

But on the bright side, its ‘winter’ here and the weather is amazing - most days its around 18-20 degrees C (70 F). It’s perfect hiking weather and luckily there are ample hiking trails around here. Last weekend L and I finally carved out time out to do a mummy daughter hike to Tiger’s Head on Lantau Island. Its a challenging hike that in parts, requires you to go on all fours. L has become a champion hiker and didn’t bat an eyelash.

This weekend the family (minus poor V who is too young to do any proper hike) took turns hiking. On Saturday, hubby and L along with a few dads and older kids completed a 10 km hike to Mui Wo, a town bordering us. It was misty and as the kids excitedly described ‘like walking in the clouds’.

The day after, S and I, along with two friends and their middle children, also did a ‘middle kids’ hike to Mui Wo, but along a much gentler, paved trail, though still about 5km (well done kids!). The trail was beautiful with some stunning views towards the end.

While its not been easy feeling like we are back in 2020, I am grateful that we live in a place with an abundance of natural beauty and lots to explore!