Quarantine Edition - Amanda

So what's quarantine been like for Genie and me in Thailand? I thought I would give you a glimpse of what our days look like and how Thailand has dealt with the global pandemic.

We were still on vacation with Kathy down in Koh Lanta when the first changes began. Thailand started by closing all public facilities (malls, markets, movie theatres, gyms, pools, etc). This included a vast majority of street food vendors, our primary source of food. Luckily, we had purchased a toaster oven in February so we had a few kitchen gadgets with which to make things. 

Here is what an average day has looked like for us

- sometime between 11am and 2pm I would get up

- I would usually make some breakfast or watch an episode on Netflix

- do 30-45 mins of zumba (the only exercise I can get currently)

- after showering I would return to Netflix unless I had power points to work on for school

- Genie would usually get up sometime between 4:30pm and 7:00pm (unless she has pulled an all nighter the night before playing Elder Scrolls)

- we'd have something to eat and I usually made coffee/tea for both of us

- we'd watch more Netflix but pause between episodes and do something physical (we created a yahtzee workout game - I actually find it really fun and will often still do it between episodes while she's sleeping)

- we might play a round of chess, Genie's been teaching me, I haven't won yet, we also haven't played in a while so hopefully we get back to that soon cuz I was getting better

- our evening would consist of her either playing more ESO or editing the gagillion videos she has to make and me picking what we were going to watch (Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds, RuPaul's Drag Race, Call the Midwife, Brooklyn 99, and Hollywood are some of the things we've watched together ~ I finished Orange is the New Black, Grace and Frankie, and am rewatching Once Upon a Time) 

- then I'd usually stay up until 1-3 in the morning and Genie would usually continue playing ESO til 6 or so

-Rinse and repeat

Other tidbits

- we go out very seldomly for food but we can get things at Big C, Tesco Lotus, and a few of the markets that are still open

-when we get home we take all of our clothes off, put them in our washer, and hop immediately in the shower. 

- Genie has gotten really good at making chicken and shrimp in our toaster oven (massamam curry and a shrimp alfredo have been my favorites so far)

- I have made some fantastic cookies! (I think I might call them Thai Monster Cookies - they have bananas, peanut butter, dark chocolate chunks, salt, vanilla, a little bit of chocolate chip cookie mix, and sometimes peanuts)

-there was a booze ban for most of the month of April, it was to try an limit social gatherings - okay I guess I understand that but sometimes you just want a cocktail

-  there's a lockdown order from 10 pm until 4 am, if you are on the road without a reason you could face jail time or a 40,000 baht fine (my month's salary)

- schools officially can't reopen until July 1st - my school has us making power points and quizzes for the kids and next week, in order to keep our full pay, we will be going into school two days a week and working from home the other three ~ Genie' school isn't opening until August and their teachers have to make videos for their students and were required to take a salary deduction until they go back.to school) 

- about once a week we have ordered food (Indian is our favorite and lasts us three days, we've also found a great Chinese soup place, a new burger place, and Dairy Queen delivers)

- I usually clean the apartment a couple of times a week, might as well have a spotless place

- we occasionally make our own butter...yes you read that right...Tesco sometimes has heavy cream and then shaking the shit out of it in an old peanut butter jar until we have butter (it's great on toast and on Ritz crackers)

I miss the gym. I never thought I'd be someone who would say that but I do. Zumba and yoga are ok but I miss the treadmill. Somehow I still managed to lose about 10 pounds this last month (30 to go until I can have my first surgery) 

I am very thankful for Genie. We both have understood that we need alone time, luckily our sleep schedules have allowed us that opportunity. She's helped to keep me sane and I fall even more in love with her everyday. And too think we've managed to survive in our small apartment. 

I look forward to returning back to 'normal' but I am in no rush. Health is the most important thing right now.

Thanks for reading this one, sorry there aren't any pictures.

Stay healthy my friends.