It's been about a week of coronavirus craziness.
Masks have become the main discussion topic in Hong Kong (and possibly the entire region) as supplies have run out. The prices for masks have risen dramatically and there's even a market for used masks.... truly horrifying.
Luckily for me, I was in Thailand when everything started to go crazy and I was able to buy up enough masks for myself and for some of my friends who requested that I bring them back.
Unluckily for me, I didn't fully appreciate just how bad the shortages were in Hong Kong and I lost a golden opportunity to bring back as many boxes of surgical masks as I could possibly lay my hands on. Little did I know, but the supply of masks in Hong Kong would completely disappear.
Either way, I managed to bring back a decent haul of masks (and some antiseptic gels) from Thailand that I was able to provide to some friends who were in need. I bought myself a Hong Kong shopper and packed all my stuff into it, then checked the bag through on my flight.
It's a very strange mood in Hong Kong. Normally when people are sick, you would see the sick person wearing the surgical masks if they were Chinese in background. You would very rarely if ever see anyone from any other racial background wearing masks when they were sick. It just wasn't part of the wider culture. That's changed completely now. Everyone, no matter what their background, has jumped onto this craze and is now wearing face masks wherever they go. It's created a strange scene in Hong Kong, something akin to the beginning of a Hollywood movie about a pandemic spreading.
The result of the fear has been clear to see for everyone. Businesses in Hong Kong have slowed down. The streets feel more empty. The speed of my normal commute to and from work has dramatically increased as the bus has only a fraction of its normal passengers. Restaurants are emptier. More and more people are working from home and avoiding going outside entirely.
One very surprising outcome from this entire saga has been the rise in increasingly black humour.
Memes and photos have circulated ad nauseam, often reappearing in your phone having been sent to you by various friends or acquaintances.
Some are simple jokes and a play on the names or the shortages.
Whereas others have definitely taken a more sarcastic turn.
Either way, we might as well try and find some humour in this annoying situation.
Masks have become the main discussion topic in Hong Kong (and possibly the entire region) as supplies have run out. The prices for masks have risen dramatically and there's even a market for used masks.... truly horrifying.
Luckily for me, I was in Thailand when everything started to go crazy and I was able to buy up enough masks for myself and for some of my friends who requested that I bring them back.
The result of the fear has been clear to see for everyone. Businesses in Hong Kong have slowed down. The streets feel more empty. The speed of my normal commute to and from work has dramatically increased as the bus has only a fraction of its normal passengers. Restaurants are emptier. More and more people are working from home and avoiding going outside entirely.
One very surprising outcome from this entire saga has been the rise in increasingly black humour.
Memes and photos have circulated ad nauseam, often reappearing in your phone having been sent to you by various friends or acquaintances.
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