SG2SH: 8 Days of the Week

"吃饭咯" was phrase of the day, everyday. Probably also, highlight of the day. It meant meal time. Someone would shout across the corridor after distributing and leaving food at the front of our hotel room door.

Cai Fan everyday

This was what a typical meal box looked like. For breakfast, we usually got vegetable buns and hard boiled eggs. For lunch and dinner, it was normally eggs, vegetables, meat and rice. There was yogurt, and a fruit too, most times an apple or banana. 

We would sit on our hand carry luggage and gather around a small table to have our meals.  

Makeshift dining area

In between meal times, we rotated between activities to keep ourselves entertained. There was a TV in the room with free to air channels. We caught a few re-runs of popular drama series. In the afternoons, 非常勿扰, a surprisingly addictive TV dating show helped us pass time. 

The kids kept themselves busy with the quarantine toy that they had picked before the flight. It was a Gabby doll house. Gabby was our nanny for a few hours each day. 

We also armed ourselves with an arsenal of food and snacks to get us through this unprecedented period.

Bed time for the kids was 8pm. Lights out for us was 10pm. We were living the dream. 

Cars waiting for guests to check out

Everyday, we looked out of the window and saw people randomly leaving the hotel, family and friends re-united at the gate. We always wondered when would it be our turn.

It was always nerve wrecking. What if one of us tested positive? Would we be able to leave on day 8?

It didn't help when our building was locked down after one of the guests tested positive for Covid-19. The status was always up in the air, right up to the moment we received the phone call to check out. Alas the moment had arrived!

Grace eyeing freedom

Like flash, we were out of there the moment our number was called. We could feel it, almost there!

One for the memories

And there we were, out of the hotel! Those 8 days in quarantine, we will remember for a long time.  Finally, we get to experience Shanghai, the people, the history and the culture. And begin our new adventure.

Shanghai, here we go!