Corona, Daegu, Everyday
It was on my way to Andong for my child’s spring break. Originally, I was planning to go on a family trip to Taiwan, but after the corona crisis broke out, I asked for airfare and hotel accommodation and canceled the trip. However, I didn’t want to return the vacation I had already had. Therefore, instead of a crowded tourist destination, it was a way to return with a recharge time at a quiet pension located in a quiet rural village in Andong. He was ready to start his daily life again.
While fiddling with a smartphone in the returning car, I read the news that there was a coronavirus confirmed in Daegu. “You said there was a confirmed person in Daegu?” I informed my driving husband, and we exchanged an anxious conversation, saying, “The situation is not going away.” However, it was just that. The corona crisis has already lasted for nearly a month, so I wondered if there would be anything different. As soon as the child arrived in Daegu, he went to the academy. We came home and organized our luggage casually. However, three hours after that, our daily life began to crumble.
After 3 hours, my daily life stopped
At the end of the academy, it was time to pick up the child. A call came to the academy teacher.
“Have your mother left? You can’t come here by car now. We’ll take you there, so don’t leave. A confirmed person came out from the hospital right next to our academy, so everything is controlled here.”
My heart was full. The child who returned from the academy informed that people in white clothes got off car 119 and carried hospital people to the car, and the road was partially blocked. He added that he did not take off the mask at the academy once and did not worry about hand disinfection several times.
Then, text messages came one after another. Two other academies where the child attends also sent messages saying that they are’temporarily closed’. The next morning, the counseling centers where I work were also contacted. It was said that all counseling would be suspended by the first week of March, and that clients should not go to work because the center will contact them. Local governments have also sent ‘Safety Information Texts’ several times to send information on daily life in preparation for coronavirus such as prohibiting group gatherings, refraining from going out, and wearing a mask when going out. In the evening, there was news that the children’s starting school, which was scheduled for March 2, was also delayed for a week.
The Catholic Archdiocese of the Archdiocese has also announced that all masses and events involving believers will be suspended until March 5th (I am a Catholic). After the coronavirus outbreak in Korea, the church had to clean up holy water and gave Mass while wearing a mask. To stop mass altogether, there was a sense of crisis as if entering into an “exhibition system”.
The neighbors who had decided to meet on Thursday evening also said, “It would be better not to meet in this situation,” and the mothers of children’s friends who had gathered to play once during the spring break sent Kakao Talk saying, “Let’s get well well.” My husband was forced to go to work wearing a mask, but he only did the necessary work and returned home. Both the dinner and meeting were canceled.
A desolate street, my heart atrophy
In this way, all of our daily lives were stopped one day after the first confirmed person appeared in Daegu. My family decided to refrain from going out and stay at home just in case. The child who does not go to the academy decided to enjoy a leisurely time at home, and after I stopped going to work, I decided to read the book I wanted to read, or to think of it as a vacation. However, the anxious mind made it impossible to enjoy anything leisurely. Even after reading the book, it didn’t come into my head. The child quickly became annoyed by boredom.
The problem was that there were not many ingredients in my refrigerator. I had to go on a trip for a few days, so I had already emptied my refrigerator before the trip. Other than kimchi and a few vegetables, there were no ingredients for a side dish. I decided to shop online. I entered an online shopping mall of a large mart that I usually use and filled my shopping cart hard. However, the moment I clicked the delivery button, I was surprised. All five-day delivery reservations were closed. I tried to apply for the customer center pick-up service, but it was all closed.
It was clear that other people were also reluctant to go out to the mart. Then a text message came to a close neighbor. ‘Yesterday, when I went to the mart, I found that all the ingredients that I use frequently, such as tofu and eggs, were out. Buy yourself quickly too. Even if it’s ramen, you should get it up.” ‘I don’t like to cook at this time, but I’m afraid I’ll eat evenly delivered food.’ Then he said,‘Delivery food is also dangerous. The answer came back, saying, “You don’t know where the person who made it is or whether it is Shincheonji.” I thought it could be. Anxiety once again swept through my mind.
Eventually, I armed myself with a mask and hand sanitizing gel with my husband and headed to Mart. The scenery of the street passing through the car window was desolate. Car traffic was also significantly reduced, and few people passed by. The parking lot of the mart was also busy, unlike usual, and all the employees wore masks and sanitary gloves to greet guests. People who shopped shopping also wore masks, and some wore plastic gloves. All the tasting corners, which seduced people with their delicious smell, were also stopped.
Fortunately, we had all the ingredients and daily necessities our family needed. I returned after shopping enough to endure 2-3 weeks, but the desolate scenery made my mind more shriveled. It felt like being in the middle of a disaster movie. It was unbelievable that in just a few days the city landscape could be so different.
Some hearts
My heart, which was already shrunken, has shrunk every time I watched the news about Corona on the Internet. These comments were often posted on news that conveyed news related to Corona 19 in Daegu. ‘Daegu KTX does not stop,’ ‘Is it not necessary to block Daegu’. Every time I read the comments, I felt as if I had become a “annoying person” just because I live in Daegu. Even a neighbor who booked a ski resort on the weekend said, “I can’t go there anyway, right? “If we go anywhere and use the Daegu dialect, people will be reluctant”, he said.
I work in Daegu, but my coworker, who used to go to Busan on weekends, said that she would not go home for the time being. No matter how much they say they are family members, they say that they cannot cause ‘discomfort.’ I, too, had canceled all of the appointments and events scheduled in Seoul at the end of February in order not to cause any ‘discomfort.’ The accommodation in Seoul where I booked gave me a full refund immediately after saying “I’m going from Daegu” even though the refund deadline was over. Fortunately, I felt a sense of self-destruction.
However, I don’t always have a dark look. KakaoTalk and phone calls frequently shared with neighbors, coworkers, and friends in Daegu, who have a limited life similar to our family, relieves the frustration of everyday life. The words of encouragement that are exchanged several times a day, ‘We are patting,’ come with a warm feeling of being together.
Calling regards from family members, friends, and colleagues living outside Daegu is also very helpful. We talked with a few friends who hadn’t done KakaoTalk for more than a year and confirmed our friendship again. When we received a call from a maternal grandmother suffering from dementia, tears were poured out. Thanks to the warm hearts of those who worry and ask hello, it seems that my amazed and shriveled mind gradually spreads out.
A few days ago I discovered an amazing landscape. It was on the way around the apartment complex with the dog wearing a mask to relieve the frustration. The plum tree in front of my house has already blossomed. It was a desolate and desolate winter than ever before, but spring was coming. The sense of crisis still prevails, but as this winter is coming, will the Corona 19 crisis someday pass?
I hope we can overcome this situation without further pain and without hurting each other’s hearts. So, I sincerely hope that I can enjoy the warm sunshine in the coming spring.