There are many other places where I thought I’d be on my 53th birthday last September. Never did I imagine though that I’d be spending it at home, munching on dumplings and broccoli, watching Crash Landing on You for the umpteenth time. But hey, it’s not that bad. It could have been so much worse, but I have been extremely fortunate.
And so, having been inspired by one of my friends who wished I’d be blessed with miracles big and small, I will attempt to list down 53 good things I’ve seen/heard/experienced during this, the longest lockdown in the world.
1 It became soothingly quiet in our neighborhood. While it has always been unexciting around here, the level of quiet is such that I can clearly hear the chirping of birds, flocks of them, every day. Such a treat!
2 I learned how to plant kangkong using discarded cans of beer.
3 Seventy-two-year-old Tatay Elmer went to jail because he allegedly violated quarantine protocols when he joined a protest rally calling for jeepneys to be brought back to the road. After his story went trending, donations poured in, and Tatay Elmer now has a sari-sari store.
4 My son Sam cooks.
5 My son Kyle bakes
6 My daughter Erika and son Felix opened new headquarters for their lifestyle brand, Eika.
7 It is refreshing to see the general public have a greater appreciation for our farmers and fishermen, our countrymen who run banks, supermarkets, butcher shops, water stations, laundry shops, gasoline stations, who clean the streets, who keep our streets safe. May this sense of gratitude be felt beyond the pandemic.
8 Online shopping. Enough said.
9 Where would we be without our hardworking riders? We get everything online, from food, medicine, clothes, and gardening supplies. So yes, we wouldn’t be enjoying some semblance of normalcy at home were it not for riders who brave not only the weather but the danger of infection. Please tip generously. 🙂
10 Netflix
11 I am really late to the K-drama party. I watched Crash Landing on You only because everybody said it was good, and I needed something else to occupy my time. I got hooked immediately.
12 Workout videos. Why did I ever enroll in a fitness gym when I could do workouts at home? Here’s one of my favorites, very doable and danceable.
13 I discovered my love for gardening, and was able to convert part of our yard from a place where we dump stuff we don’t need to a spot of green with papaya trees, kamantigue flowers, calamansi, and oregano.
14 I was able to practice tai chi.
15 I have never loved our mango tree more. On hot, humid days, it just makes everything cooler. It is home to any number of winged creatures that never fail to serenade us with their excited chirping every afternoon. In the summer, it offers us its fruits, so many that we gladly share with neighbors. It us our refuge, our sanctuary, our home.
16 Our cats. Actually, they’re my son’s cats, but the idea that they’re part of the family has now grown on me. They make a mess of the garden every now and then but, you know, they’re cats. and they’re adorable, and they make the yard feel alive somehow.
17 Work, it keeps me sane.
18 Online classes. Over the past few months, I’ve had to acquaint myself with the mechanics of distance learning, and for the most part it has been enlightening. I started with finance webinars from my bank, and when those proved to be pain- and hassle-free, moved on to others. There are just too many hours in a day, at times, and learning something new was somehow more appealing than feeding my growing sense of helplessness, which I admit I sometimes still do.
Apart from taking classes on modern literature and pop culture, I have also attended webinars on all sorts of topics, from gardening and tai chi to disinformation tactics and press freedom. So comfortable have I become of the medium that I signed up for adult ballet classes! More on that next time, or maybe not! Mwahahaha
19 Hyun Bin. Just look at him.
20 Late night chats with my sisters. If it is at all possible, I have grown even closer to my sisters. I would not have survived this lockdown without their virtual presence.
21 Craft beer
22 Chirping birds waking me up in the morning. I kid you not. I am very fortunate to live in a village where there are still a lot of trees, and a lot of birds, more of them now actually. And I could hear all sorts of birds chirping from my bedroom window. I wish I could name them by sound. Another thing to learn, perhaps?
23 Impromptu joy rides to anywhere and nowhere
24 Witty, sarcastic comments. Just take a peek at the comment section of any post concerning government response to the pandemic, and you will end up laughing no end. Laughter is the best medicine. Since we cannot have the vaccine, we can possibly just laugh ourselves to death. Mwahahahaha
25 Witty, enterprising entrepreneurs. I have discovered so many cute, cool products during the lockdown, and I am only too happy to add to cart as a way of supporting my fellow Filipinos’ creative resourcefulness. Here, some which have found their way into our home. https://www.instagram.com/aromajunkie/, https://www.instagram.com/dirtypink.ph/, https://www.instagram.com/itaenimclass/
26 My Spotify playlists
27 Leni Robredo
28 Chel Diokno
29 Angel Locsin, siya ang tunay na Darna
30 While I cannot seem to stay with one book these days, I continue to buy them and I don’t care. They give me comfort.
31 Dan Rather’s Substack
32 Young Filipino artists. It’s so easy to find them on IG, and start collecting their works. https://www.instagram.com/aangelapis/
33 Peppermint, Rosemary, Thieves
34 A bakery opened just around the corner, how great is that? Their pan de sal is so soft and fluffy!
35 Zoom, sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it, depends on the day
36 Game nights with the family where we try to outwit one another
37 Chilling out at my sister’s, watching my sons beat one monster after another; the animation these days, so amazing!
38 Going up Tagaytay when Maynilad flaked out on us once again. I cooked all day, almost
39 The Ordinary, because skin care is life
40 Greta Thunberg. You rock, girl!
41 Connecting with friends and acquaintances. Somehow we have more time to chat these days and short hello-how-are-yous can easily turn into full-blown conversations.
42 Apocalyptic movies. They feel oh so real now.
43 Any movie with people in parties, in concerts, or in bars, just with people. Makes me feel good, or bad, depends on the day.
44 Giving painting, or my version of painting another go.
45 Seeing my actual head
46 The biggest, freshest oysters fromhttps://www.instagram.com/marvsboqueria.ph/
47 Oh, yeah, I was able to write a little e-book about the first few months of the lockdown. At the time, I thought it would end soon enough. Was I ever so WRONG!
48 I’ve attended so many webinars on the vaccine that I could probably give a talk on it, if push comes to shove. Mwahahaha
49 I love how people have reinvented themselves somewhat. Many of us have rediscovered forgotten skills or hobbies and have taken advantage of time at home to pursue them with a vengeance. My friends are baking bread, making cheesecakes, managing farms, and crocheting beanies. I am in awe of them all. Me, here, writing, as always. 🙂
50 I have always liked the heat than the cold, but I appreciate it now more than ever. The world is on lockdown, and some of us have had to do so in cold, dark weather, and that’s just heartbreaking for me. I love the sun, and it loves me back.
53 Nayon Farm. It was refreshing to spend a few days out of the city, on top of a hill, trees everywhere, big sky.
I hope to see you all, soon! 🙂
LULA LAND 
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