Covid-19: A Retrospect of the Past 2 Years

The year it began

I vividly remember talking about my vacation plans as we ended our team lunch to start the year in 2020. I told my colleagues how excited I was to explore more of Hong Kong starting off with the Tai O Lookout which I was meaning to visit in the coming holiday. We went our separate ways and never got the chance to see the whole team again. The lockdown was imposed over the weekend of the Lunar New Year and everything else was a blur. We were stuck in the 4 corners of our tiny apartment, itching to go out but afraid to be with a crowd, searching for ways to ease the boredom but cautious every time. I couldn’t find words to describe what it was like, because unlike most people in the world, my daughter and I welcomed the isolation that came with the responsibility of social distancing to fight the then novel coronavirus.

Staycations

As borders closed for travel and leisure, one alternate way of getting a change of environment was looking for interesting staycations. In time for my daughter’s birthday, we went for an elevated retreat at The Ritz Carlton and ‘twas a sumptuous 5-meal staycation at the top. To usher the New Year, 2021 that was, we spent the holidays at the Mandarin Oriental but the usually bustling city was uncannily silent and lonely from our window pane. As we did it in the year prior, we went to the outskirts of town for an unperturbed vacation at the Tai O Heritage Hotel. That prompted us to check similar architectural heritage like Jao Tsung-I Academy, which we had been curious about during our city hunt activity and The Murray, the one hotel in my daughter’s list and for a good reason based off of our marvellous experience.

Walking Trails

I'd like to say something spectacular like sunset adventure or sunrise climb, but nah! In reality I had never done hiking; I only did walking tours and sightseeing trails that felt like it. Through an invitation from a friend, Carol, we went to Mui Wo after being in self-quarantine for a while in the year prior. Albeit closure of the beach to the public, it didn’t take away the chance of walking by the sideway to breathe in the fresh and healing sea breeze. When the restrictions eased and people were allowed to swim in Peng Chau, another friend, Isabel, recommended a place open for BBQ but before getting to the location, we needed to hurdle what we thought was an interminable uphill trail in the heatwave of summer. Tiring but the breathtaking views along the way were worth the adventure. A change of pace, literally.

Supportive at all costs (or no cost more like), I accompanied my daughter when she went out to photograph representation of art in Hong Kong's urbanism as we found our way to Xiqu Centre and joined in the walk along the TST promenade among other areas we scoured; and volunteered to take snaps of her visiting and sketching sites, timing the access routes, pacing at every corner of the area to gauge the sun and wind directions. Not at all required but capturing those coursework mundane tasks came in handy and valuable when she was being asked for evidences in her documentation. Being a "stage mom" set me off to also prearrange a visit to Tsz Shan Monastery for her to see its architectural features, which proved to be difficult as slots got booked quickly and the spasmodic suspension of establishments' operations due to the pandemic made it even harder. Few months after, my wish was granted and amidst the scorching sun, it felt liberating walking aimlessly in a vast open space tucked in lush greeneries breathing in uncontaminated air.

City Hunt – Old Hong Kong

Working from home has instantly become the norm and to encourage employees to get up, meet up and commingle with team mates and friends, the recreational group at work launched the City Hunt series. The activity featured old Hong Kong establishments that we needed to guess following some hints. It wasn’t mandatory but I found it an excuse to go out. We sorted all the checkpoints we could course through in a day's trip, marched into the unfamiliar streets, and with the landmarks as the backdrop took selfies, sweaty but still gorgeous __________ the mask. (I don’t know whether to write under or because of; so please fill in the blank.)

I didn’t see the newsletter the first time, so we had a late start. Handicapped but fixated in completing all checkpoints, we visited as many spots as we could on weekends. The places of interest were scattered across the territory, so there were a few we deliberately not planned for. It was a disappointment we were unable to squeeze in the tour of the Kowloon Walled City nor the Cattle Depot Artist Village in our somewhat architecture excursion, but we were glad to have tracked down places we haven't heard before like the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum, Jao Tsung-i Academy, Oi! Arts Centre, etc. It was worthwhile uncovering bits and pieces of history as we raked through the edifices.

The second phase highlighted Hong Kong food scenes and we envisaged shops found on narrow alleyways of crowded market places which we have been avoiding going for a number of reasons. With this activity, we braved walking the busy streets, going elbow to elbow with people, wondering whether or not they’ve already been vaccinated. This entire time, food was the one thing that could certainly lure us out of the house. It even inclined us into perhaps engaging in a secret food tour next time as we discovered F&B stalls that have been existing since 1916, still going strong, has relocated, or on the verge of closure. There was one café that I really wanted to go to, but it was shutdown before our scheduled visit. The shop might had been struggling all along, but the prolonged lockdown might had cut its last straw. It’s undeniable that the pandemic has really taken a toll on us all – mentally, emotionally, socially, financially; many had suffered and succumbed, but many rose, built resilience and emerged stronger than ever before.

Gastronomic Exploration

I couldn't stress enough how food is ❤️! It is the one thing that brings people together, purveys culture, subdues cultural gaps, mechanises diversity, and the list could go on. And if that’s not a true depiction of power, then I don’t know what is. I believe, therefore –

Afternoon Tea

We greeted 2020 with an afternoon tea at The Grand Buffet although we felt a bit of apprehension due to the rampant protests against government policies. There was a rally brewing and marching outside Hopewell Centre at that time and we were terrified as we left the premises unbeknownst to the bigger catastrophe that lay ahead. A few weeks later, the first wave of the corona virus outbreak in Hong Kong was announced, along with strict quarantine measures imposed on all sectors. The next time we had another afternoon tea was at Artisan, the day before Christmas, only to be wary of the rising Covid-19 infections that spread out from a number of gatherings made by delinquents who partied with more than 4 people, one of which was a shop in K11 not far from where we just dined in.

We had several other occasions the following year, each time in celebration of the prior mornings that we were bestowed to wake up in. From the simple yet elegant European fare at Tea WG to the indulgent Garden Lounge Signature Afternoon Tea to a blend of British and Hong Kong take of the Lady Caine Afternoon Tea at Statement to a totally different flavour of delicacies sampled in the Taste of Tai O Tea Set and Thai Tea Set at Mango Tree, they were all equally meaningful as we had our tête-à-tête.

We thought of doing an eventful year-end activity, but with an acceptable size of crowd. We initially considered going on a 1N or 2N cruise since the deals were very much affordable, but good thing we didn't because a number of passengers tested positive upon disembarkation. In lieu of a distinctive affair, we sailed away from 2021 onboard the Aqualuna II, delighting ourselves with bubbles, dim sum, sweets and sights of Hong Kong in daylight we didn’t get the chance to see before.

Definitive Brunch

After the first wave broke out, we finally had the brunch we had been pushing back for 3 or more months after the reservation was made. As the restrictions allayed, we tried to book other brunches whenever possible – from the bountiful spread of Feng Wei Brunch at Hutong and Dim Sum Brunch at Madame Fu to the all-time favourite Sunday Roasts at Mr Wolf and the Mandarin Grill+Bar.

The next year, we stepped up our game by exploring broader brunch offerings. We revelled in Spanish dishes of La Rambla, the Brazilian-Japanese fusion fare at Uma Nota, the spices of India at Chaiwala, the British flair at Grain and experienced variety of flavours around the world without leaving Hong Kong. We should have done more to the smaller businesses as our means to help them thrive during the challenging times, but our gustatory inclination favoured creativity. Our fascination with food has started a tradition to browse through definitive brunches in town's melting pot of innovative gustation and it’s now beginning to influence my daughter’s close friend that their regular luncheon theme choices have been racing with ours.

Festive Dinner

As soon as dine-in was allowed beyond 6pm, I booked at Hutong only for a sudden lockdown to push our dinner to September. We were in the middle of our Mid-Autumn feast when the sky suddenly lit up with fireworks. Amidst all the chaos, that gave a momentary bliss and a spark of hope. Wanting to see at a closer proximity, we reserved seats at Clipper Lounge for New Year’s Eve but was eventually cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation, so we ended up getting in-room dinner at the Mandarin Oriental anticipating the firework display that didn’t happen.

After the outbreak fears during the Lunar New Year in 2021, the social distancing measures relaxed steadily but not going out for festive dinner was a call we made as more and more people tended to gather for every occasion. Notwithstanding, we thought of wrapping up this year with a festive dinner at Feather & Bone, a cheerful heart and a free-flow of champagne and wine. The Christmas merriment started with a warm mug of mulled wine and the best I'd ever tasted. At the end of our main course, I was already woozy but still with percipience to note that even though our last 2 years could only be summed up with just a few celebrations outside the confines of our four walls, we're grateful nonetheless for the countless favours we’ve been blessed with during these trying times.

Embracing the New Normal

The pandemic pushed us in a corner to rethink our life choices and priorities. As it impaired international travels, we diverted our focus exploring domestically and made me realize how little of Hong Kong have I truly seen despite being here for a decade. In retrospect, the constant worry of the day-to-day made us neglect the things that really matter, that if we could only step back and appreciate the simple pleasures in life, we wouldn’t be that anxious of what lies ahead.

As we begin to embrace the era of the new normal and adapt to wearing mask as a fashion statement (and not just for health concerns), the uncertainties remain the same. The future may be bright or bleak depending on whether you see the glass half-full or half-empty, but the impact of the beautiful relationships and memories we’ve created in the past will surely get us through it. So no matter where we are or whatever situations we are in, let’s remember to always find the silver lining, the sheer of light that no matter how feeble will spark the little faith we’ve been holding onto. These will definitely make us tick, keep the faith and carry us through to appreciate and enjoy the journey.