Community Clap Amid the Clampdown

Focusing on the unexpected positives - New Yorkers overcoming their cynicism and actually coming out, together, in unison, at 7 pm for the inaugural Clap Because We Care for our healthcare workers, and delivery people, and store clerks, and restaurant workers, sanitation workers, transit workers, first responders - all the folks soldiering on while the rest of us isolate in place to try to flatten this curve...

... I was surprised by the din I heard.  I was texting and missed the beginning seconds.  But when I stepped out to the Jardin, how gratifying!  At first I heard most distinctly just the people on the other side of the block who had come onto their rooftop, but it was clear the sound was a collaboration of so many unseen others.  There was a scattering of people across various rooftops; I did not see so many hanging out their windows, but I heard them, far more than I could spy with my little eyes.  On Facebook and Instagram I sub-labeled it “proof of life” - after days and days of everyone hunkering down in our individual “bunkers,” the streets and public spaces of our beautiful, normally bustling city empty and deserted, so very unfamiliarly ghostly - emerging at once to a collective purpose.  A respite from the enforced quiet.

Not that enforcement is such a bad thing.  It’s a pity that police have to come out to enforce the physical distancing.  Apparently some of the basketball hoops have had to come down.  But the density of people in the parks is just sort of nuts.  After my one foray out to Carl Schurz Park, when I fastidiously tried to maintain my distance, it was clear others were not on the same page ... runners practically brushing by me, no consideration for distance at all.  That was it.  No more.  Thank goodness for the Jardin.

At the Orifice, a new enforcement policy - time to be released for each day by noon of three following day, rather than the usual weekly basis.  Purportedly to provide transparency on utilization in these times - I suppose to redeploy labor where needed.  But awfully Big Brother-y.  Consider my lack of motivation and focus and productivity, maybe for the better.

But let’s focus back on the good.  Not being at the office meant I was able to join the big Clap, and record it, and post it.  It was quite a hit.  So, good things - focus on the helpers, as Mr. Rogers would tell us, and on how to be helpful.

Youth in Spring (of the Coronavirus)

The first day of Spring was beautifully, deliciously warm - sunny, balmy, perfect; but for the viral load looming all around.

Young people, young plants - on that first day last week, beckoning me out onto the terrace for the first gardening tasks of the year.

Alas, the gorgeous weather apparently was  also conducive to social gathering, rather than the physical distancing recommended in these times...

Note the risky behavior of the young people ...

... similarly, the risky clustering of the young sorrel...

Survivors of an indoor Winter aphid infestation on Sissy’s windowsill.  Actually, at the height of Winter, they were brought out to the Jardin to fend for themselves.  And they made it!

But then, see the sorrel demonstrate the physical distancing required to flatten the curve ...

The sorrel, after being teased apart.  Hopefully this will give them space to thrive.  They survived the winter; a few more cold nights should be ok, right?  Most of their roots stayed insulated by the original soil, so hopefully root shock is minimal.

... so that we may all emerge from out under this pandemic healthy and well, like the salvia coming up from its Winter sojourn...

Salvia from the Mothership.  They did ok last year in the pot, but did not thrive.  Maybe this year, now that they are more accustomed to their tight quarters.

... rather than go the way of last year's Vietnamese balm.

These seed heads, like many of the others (including the promiscuous shiso) were left over winter for the birds.  But now, seems the birds should have other sources of food.  And hopefully gathering the heads and dispersing them in their intended pots will minimize the volunteers.  And this year, I resolve to be ruthless about weeding and eating the micro green volunteers.  The Vietnamese balm seed heads, even dried, smelled AMAZING.

COVID-19 Strikes Close to Home

First, over a month ago, unexpectedly, came the news that Sissy's good friend's parents were stuck on the cruise ship docked off Japan, and the dad had to be hospitalized, was on a ventilator, was experiencing multiple organ failure.

Then, more recently, the mom of a close friend of mine, out of the blue, while traveling, hospitalized, up and down on a ventilator, and yesterday, she passed.

So for her, In Memoriam Pancit. 

The family cannot have a funeral under the circumstances; I cannot drive down to comfort my friend since both our states are under orders to stay home, so I called and cried with her.  She had mentioned offhand that whenever I next have pancit, I should remember her mom, it was a tradition for them; as we hung up, she said maybe she would see if she could find ramen to improvise pancit for her kids for lunch.

I told our other close friends of this as we were coordinating by text on what to send to her family.  None of us is Filipino and none of us had had pancit.  But we have YouTube and Google and had each stocked up with some form of noodle.  So we each made our own improvised version of pancit and took photos and texted them to my friend to let her know we love her and are remembering her mom.

Coincidentally, I was invited to my first virtual dinner party - which was today.  And the pancit was my dinner.  And it was good!  And not difficult at all.

I think I will keep it in my repertoire, consider this as part of her mom's legacy, and remember the warm, intelligent, strong woman who left her homeland for the States back in the day when there weren't so many women physicians, built a beautiful life for her family, raised a strong daughter, loved her grandkids, was strong and active and traveling her whole life - up until a global pandemic caught her up and took her too soon.

#pancit #cookinginthetimeofcovid19 #coronaviruscooking #coronacooking #quarantinecuisine

Head First Dive-In

After a too-long hiatus, this unprecedented pandemic has actually delivered a tiny silver lining: less commute time and more home time, which means more blogging time, if I can manage it all properly.... These crazy COVID-19 days have just about everyone working at home so we can collectively try to flatten the curve.  So, pour Moi, that means the dining table, looking out toward The Jardin.

The view has its own charm, even if it’s not the sweeping cityscape of a high story HY view.  I’ve often wondered if working from home might help tip the balance a little bit more toward non-work life; well, now we’re all doing it - so the trial run begins!

Distractions are definitely an issue.  Particularly when they come in the form of young pigeon visitors to the terrace.  Yesterday’s observation: Young pigeons don’t spread their wings to launch - they apparently put their heads down and fall into flight...

... At least, I assume it turns into flight (rather than death). There were three pigeons originally, and each of the other two did it the same way.  Mother Nature can’t have designed them to launch that way if it leads to harm, right?

Maybe there’s something instructive in that - to trust instinct, and dive in head first, and go with it.