Beijing Bunker: "Staying Connected With People Has Kept Me From Going Insane"

As Beijing enters its second week in self-quarantine, the stories of how people have been dealing with the coronavirus outbreak – by staying, leaving, or watching on from afar – are many and varied. In Beijing Bunker, we quiz Beijingers on what approach they've been taking to stay safe and sane in this time of war.

If anything is going to save us from this ongoing epidemic, it will be good communication. As a marketing professional, blogger, YouTuber, and podcaster, one person who knows all about communication is Rachel Weiss. Below, the Beijinger finds out how she manages to handle the situation with a cool head.

Would you consider yourself safe, sane, safe and sane, or other? Why?
Very safe and mostly sane. I feel safe because of the precautions I see people taking during this time, and the precautions I’m taking as well. Most everyone I’ve seen in Beijing has been conscious to wear masks when going outside. I also feel like people in Beijing haven’t been panicking (and there hasn’t been a shortage of food or supplies like some people feared), and I think that’s helped the overall feeling here. It’s good to see everyone taking personal care, looking out for each other, and finding ways to stay preoccupied during this time.

How has the situation affected your work and projects? 
I work in the marketing department for an education company here in Beijing and started to work again on Feb 3. We are working from home for two weeks, though, so we’ve been having lots of online meetings and chats to stay up-to-date and communicate with each other. It’s been a bit difficult, but most of my work is done online anyway so I think my job has been less affected than people who teach or interact closely with people closely day-to-day.  

Has the virus disrupted your travel plans or those of your loved ones?
For the Spring Festival holiday, I traveled to Chongqing to see a friend. I planned to travel to Xiamen and Fuzhou afterward, but once the virus spread farther outside Hubei I canceled those plans and decided to return to Beijing early, just to be safe and cautious. Luckily it was before more serious lockdowns, so it wasn’t difficult for me to change my plans and return to Beijing.

Many of my friends who have been traveling outside China have been much more disrupted due to all the flight cancelations. I’m actually house/dog-sitting now for a close friend who had to extend their holiday in Cambodia because of the flight difficulties. Some of my other expat friends who traveled outside of China have decided to go home to the States or the UK for the time being, as they aren’t sure when their jobs will start again.

Have there been any unexpected upsides?
I’ve been going on a lot of walks, especially now that I’m watching my friend’s dog. I don’t have my own dog in Beijing, so I’m happy to help my friend and have a companion to hang out with. Beijing has been quiet during this time and there aren’t any big crowds anywhere which is a bit strange, but quite nice.  I’ve also had more time for personal projects, like my travel website and also a podcast I do with friends about dating in China! 

Which resources (online or real-life) have proved the most useful to you during this time?
For local Beijing updates, I’ve been reading the Beijinger and following Hangzhou Expat on WeChat, as well as a few other news sites. WeChat groups with other expats have probably been the most helpful, with people chatting every day about virus-related information – restaurants and stores that are still open, updates about airport security, links to news reports, ways to stay busy during this time, jokes and banter for comic relief, etc. It’s comforting to know that many other expats are here experiencing the same thing and are helping each other. 

What's one thing that you've done that has saved you a lot of hassle/time/insanity?
I’ve been chatting with friends and family a lot more during this time. Staying connected with people has really kept me from feeling isolated or going insane. Some of my friends are still in Beijing as well, so we’ve been trying to meet up when we can (and where we can).

What do you most look forward to doing once all of this has blown over?
I’m really looking forward to traveling in China again! It’s my goal to visit every province in China, and I was so bummed to cancel the rest of my Spring Festival travel plans here. It’ll be nice to travel again with no restrictions or fear of the virus. 

READ: Beijing Bunker: Reflections of a Cyclist Stuck Indoors

Image courtesy of Rachel Weiss