Jackie Wilson Asheeke
With the setback in our advancement towards a full end of the State of Emergency, restaurants and cafes are getting kicked in the butt again. We can’t go to our usual places and meet friends, socialize (from a distance), or get a hot meal or cappuccino anymore. We can only get take away. To keep the declining restaurants alive for a bit longer, those who can, must get take-aways as often as possible.
If you are like me and working remote and suffering on half salary indefinitely, money is super tight (even though you are actually putting in more work hours.) The social life you had before is gone forever. The new normal means finding other ways to have a bit of fun. I am incorporating takeaway orders to my weekly routine for variety in my schedule.
These days, I am into eating a lunch of raw carrots, tuna fish sandwiches and Ramen Noodles like I did in college. While I cannot order-out for lunch like I would do at the office, I can order something now and again. I like Mekenificent’s beef or chicken wraps. They also have great health smoothies. There is great Sushi and prawn tempura at a small place across from the Chinese Embassy in Ludwigsdorf. These options are pricy and I cannot do it often, but I do it once in a while. You should too.
Mentally,
I feel like my tortoise, Dave (he has lived in my garden for the 31 years that I have owned my house), hiding during cold weather and only coming out if it gets warm. Our ‘stages’ are the ‘cold weather’ that Dave likes to avoid. But we cannot hide away – life is moving on. We need to find a way to peek our heads out of our tortoise shells.
If we continue to hide and wait for warmer weather, by the time we emerge, everything that was there when we went into hibernation might be gone. I see shops and restaurants closing down already. Times were tough for eating-out places even before COVID given the recession. But, there was a spark of life for cafes and restaurants when we moved to Stage 4. Now, we have regressed and must follow the rules.
I noticed that my favourite café used to have 4-6 servers, now they have two. When I was in there, I’ve only seen 3 or 4 other customers. They used to have a full house most times.
While I c
annot afford to go there as often, I can order my cappuccino to-go instead of buying the instant packets from the grocery store and making it at home. I can get an egg-and-bacon croissant in the morning instead of staying in and boiling an egg and eating it with sliced avocado, dry toast and an orange.
Am I weird to admit that I actually enjoy being alone? I care for my BFFs and work colleagues, but I love the solitude and privacy. I can think creatively now more than ever before in my life. I am able to get folks online or on the phone for information better than before.
If we all order take-out once per week or whenever we can, someone will have or keep a job. A small business might be able to limp through this pandemic nightmare.
While we act like Dave the Tortoise again in this renewed Stage 3, please stick your head out and order something from somewhere at least once per week. Give it a try!
