OT - In these weird times

[Beavers Headgear]

How is everyone travelling with everything that is going on at the moment ?

Very uncertain and stressful times ahead for all, personally I have friends who have small kids and both parents jobs are on the line at the moment which is fairly scary stuff to comprehend so suddenly.

There will be a variety of different occupations and situations on this forum, and just wanted to have a topic available where we can come in and get stuff off our chests if need be, mental health is going to be a very large part of this problem and it is good to have places to ask for advice and help if needed

Personally mine and my wife’s jobs should be fairly safe, the most stressful situation for us will be if we head into a lockdown phase and what the money situation will be with a mortgage and little one at home. I’m fairly staunch and she’ll be right with this sort of stuff, but canceled a plan tonight because the situation I was heading too I could tell was making the wife a bit uneasy

Look after yourselves everyone and enjoy the footy while we have it

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

As you said, it's the uncertainty that stresses people more than anything else.

The virus itself isn't particularly threatening compared to others in the past, but it's proving to be much more disruptive to everyday life and that's where the real concern is for a lot of people.

I've had a couple shifts cancelled already, but between my wife and I we're pretty safe in the short-medium term compared to a lot of people. We're both able to do a lot of work from home which helps a lot.

Very difficult situation because there's not much any of us can do but hope for the best.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I originally planned a 2 week break in NZ a few months back. When the shit hit the fan in China the main shipping service that we handle got shut down for 5 weeks, meaning most of our work dried up. Luckily I was already on leave for two weeks of that so I put in for an additional week and changed my flight. Of course around the time I was originally scheduled to return the shit really hit the fan, and 3 days before I left mandatory self isolation came in. Luckily work is paying me while I self isolate but my 2 weeks off turned into 5. And I suspect when I get back I’ll be doing minimum hours at base rate. I’m just crossing my fingers that we won’t have lots of layoffs when it happens. At least with China seeming to have a handle on things I’m hoping the ships start coming again.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

China claiming no new local infections today for the first time since the outbreak.

Hopefully that continues.

 

[Leber]

I’m getting married in 4 weeks and I’m shitting myself that we might have to cancel.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I’m getting married in 4 weeks and I’m shitting myself that we might have to cancel.

Got any overseas guests coming or just locals?

 

[Leber]

Got any overseas guests coming or just locals?

We had 3 overseas ones, they are now not coming.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

We had 3 overseas ones, they are now not coming.

fingers crossed for no community outbreak in NZ then.

 

[TheDMC]

Good thread Beave.

After consulting for the Asian Development Bank (like the World Bank, but Asia focused) for 8 years, I became staff on March 2nd. Super lucky timing, because job now as secure as it gets - in fact in times like these ADB becomes more crucial (just announced $6.5 billion support for poor countries to deal with/recover from CORONA impact). Would hate to be a consultant right now.

Downside, trapped in an apartment in Manila. Full lockdown mode. It could go on for months. Wife is fine, painting away for hours and hours a day. Me, I struggle enough living in cities and so much worse without being able to play touch rugby/cricket/golf/squash and of course, no beers with me mates.

But will be many worse off than me with the economic impact and health fears. My 79 year old dad is trapped in his apartment in Rome...bit worrying, though he is a pretty fit old goat.

Tried to watch Bulldogs v Cowboys replay tonight, but after 15 minutes just couldn't be f**ked. With all that is happening and how abysmal our team is, I might finally lose interest in the NRL...

Feel free to vent and share fellas.

 

[Campion]

hah. it's crazy (i.e., cool) to hear what all these forum people do. i'm a prof in IR based in the UK (and actually i do reserach in global health governance, so this is insane times). i'm at masturbating-in-my-own-feces levels of stress. we're still supposed to be delivering courses (now online), but without any training and also facing the generalized stress of a pandemic. Each day everything changes (exams cancelled etc.). And students are hitting us up stressed themselves that they won't get grades, will they get refunded, etc etc. FFFAAAARQQQ in the meantime, getting hounded by media, journals etc for contributions. i'm trying to get my own shit together before i even think about that.

 

[Adam-Albert Casty]

Is there a site where all NRL fans can send a thank you out to the Warriors for their sacrifice to keep the game going?

Seriously if fans were allowed these blokes shd be applauded every round they play away from loved ones.

But there must be a site where everyone can express appreciation for their sacrifice now. Let us know.

Chez Cuz...

 

[Rich102]

Thanks for your thoughts AA. I will pass your message on to Admin.

 

[Rich102]

Good thread Beaver.
My wife and I are in our 70's.
Luckily we live rural and self-isolation is not a problem.
We are just in the process of turning away visits from the grandchildren during the school holidays. Hard but prudent we feel.
My wife has an eye condition that requires attendance at Whangarei hospital every 3 months. Was there last week and nobody, including doctors, was wearing a mask. (I took my own reading material)
I feel that we are as safe as possible. Closing the border adds an extra level of security.

Just on the Warriors.
I felt this year was going to be a disaster but would force the club to make changes.
Now I feel nothing may be done and it will just be a totally wasted year.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[JJ]

To me it's kind of like being in a B-grade Sci Fi movie in NZ, let alone overseas where mostly things have developed further. We're waiting to see what might or might not happen, and some have this impending sense of doom...

Wife and I work at tertiary institutions (her management, me academic) - jobs should be ok, but in the current environment I imagine everyone is vulnerable.

Super busy trying to organise stuff for the various 'what if' scenarios, which helps with the worry - I'm relatively pragmatic though.

Avoiding visiting parents etc, I agree that's prudent Rich - or at least establishing 'normal' practice with 2m gaps, and hand washing, not touching faces... seems a lot of new normals are needed, and hopefully everyone copes ok

Stay safe everyone

 

[spear tackle]

All very odd, I cant work due to having a stroke a few years back o am used to spending a lot of time on my own if need be , my wife and daughter on the other hand are used to going out every day to work and school but if we have to go into lockdown in the short term they should be fine but will probably start to go stir crazy after a few days.
Anyway its all uncharted territory for most of us as we wernt around for the first of second world wars nor the great depression for that matter , so just keep calm and take each day as it comes I suppose

 

[Scott]

Wife & I own a small business. 2 school aged kids. We have had to drastically cut the hours of the part timers. It's basically at he stage where I will work as much as possible so we don't have to pay others. Kind of feels like we are in a holding phase. So much uncertainty among the public/customers. Many many emotions over the past week.

 

[Meth]

We've just locked Lion's thread re Coronovirus and essentially opened a new one- which is fine, because obviously we need a space to talk about what's happening, but without Lion's alarmist and panicked scaremongering.

Personally, I'm concerned, but not really for me or my family. I'm concerned for our more vulnerable members of society- whether that's professionally vulnerable, or healthwise. As I said elsewhere, I'm more afraid of people's fear than I am of the virus itself.

The media is being predatory and irresponsible.

I have young kids, so I am trying to keep them in a good space.

 

[Benek]

I'm lucky in that I've been working from home for my own freelance business for the last 18 years, so it's business as usual for me - now suddenly everyone else is being forced to work the way I've always done it. As long as my client's don't dry up my family will be fine.

I'm not to scared of the virus itself, but I am scared of the hysteria, and what it will do to the economy.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

3rd day of self isolation here.
Got plenty of food but the boredom is biting hard. Watching the footy was actually a welcome distraction last night. Gonna get a whole bunch of things done around my apartment at least.
Work wise hopefully won’t be as bad as some as I’m a wharfie and containers are still going to have to come in for essential supplies and China seems to be getting back to some sort routine (our main services come from there.
Not concerned about myself especially as I’m 45 and super healthy, trying to get out for a run every day to burn off the surplus energy too, luckily that’s allowed with the self isolation rules currently as long as you stay away from people (easily enough done).

 

[Blair]

I work in a supermarket in NSW, it's a horror show, so upsetting to see people behaving like this. They're stripping shelves of most things now. Yesterday, the pet food went, so stuff anyone else who has a hungry dog or cat, ay?

A couple of years ago I told you all about the loss of my little legend Kiwi (cat), well our 'one surviving cat', Bella, has come into her own as a source of great comfort right now. It's her 'normalcy' you see, she's blissly ignorant to anything else going on.

So many people have pets, they earn their keep, but how bad is it that selfish people have made sure other people's pets might be going hungry?

This thread has legs, cheers Beave.