Travel bubbles - 1

Day 1:

Monday, 29th of Jun

Ammu

As we started to pack our bags into the trunk of the Anna Taxi, something felt off. Different. Maybe I was stressing a bit too much about the trip. Maybe it was Achan’s visible stress rubbing off me. But I was definitely excited about going back to Hong Kong after all these days. I missed my room, my school, my friends and the yummy salmon from Frites! Corona or no Corona, I wanted to get back fast.

Ichu was excited too. Like me, she has been stuck inside the house for many days now. And she loves to go bye-bye! She even said “bubbye” to everyone as we got into the car. Sho shweet!

I noticed that Achacha and Ammamma were sad. We spent a lot of time this time with them and they were getting used to Ichu and me being at home all the time. I’m sure they will feel quite sad after we leave. I wonder when we will see them next. I heard Acha and Amma say that it will not be very safe to travel for a while due to the virus. I just hope we can come back sometime and stay with them again! 

As we drove to the airport, I was thinking about the rainbows we saw on our way back from Kozhikode the other day. That was the first time I saw three rainbows one after the other. And one was even a double rainbow! How come I’ve never seen such a beautiful rainbow in Hong Kong? 

The mask was bothering me. I didn’t like it, I didn’t want to wear it and it fogged up my glasses. Ugh! And it definitely doesn’t go with my outfit either. I mean, what’s the point of wearing lip balm if no one’s gonna notice it? Duh! But these days I don’t see anyone without a mask, which is just sad. Poor Ichu though, she’s too small to wear one. She would just tear it off or play with it all the time. I just hope she doesn’t touch anywhere dirty and then touches her mouth. Amma said it was my job to watch her too! She thinks Ichu will listen to me. Right!!

Amma

This is happening! Living out of a suitcase for five months without an end in sight had started to take its toll on us. I think we all just want to get back home, our home, in Hong Kong as soon as possible, given everything that’s going on. There’s definitely an element of risk involved with travel but given there is no indication of when things would get back to normal, some risk is worth taking. We just need to be super careful on the flight. I think we are already very careful. Just worried about Acha though, he has been quite stressed about the whole thing. And I hope he stops stressing.

Ammu is really excited, I can sense it. She loves Hong Kong as much as I do. She has her space, her friends and her activities there and while she’s enjoyed her time in Kerala, she’s been missing Hong Kong quite a bit. And I’m not very worried about her, she knows she has to be careful and understands the risks. Only thing is she can be careless at times, especially when distracted. I’ll have to keep a close eye.

I’m worried about Ichu and Acha. Ichu can get quite restless on the flight and it’s gonna be quite a task to keep her hands clean always. She has immensely enjoyed her time with both grand parents and this extended stay has helped a lot in her development too. Just hope she eats well and not have stomach issues like yesterday. Can’t wait to see her run around in the play area next to our apartment!

Acha as usual is the most stressed about the virus and the chances of catching the infection. He has probably gone through the pros and cons a thousand times in his mind already and imagined everything that could possibly go wrong! But I know he’s just about had it too, with the terrible network connections and this forced sedentary lifestyle. The lack of any physical exercise has been bothering him quite a bit. I saw it every time his Taikoo friends posted a hiking picture or a badminton court reservation. But his health anxiety is going to be a constant issue throughout the trip. Will need to somehow keep it in check.

I saw Amma fighting back tears through a smile as Ichu said ‘bubbye’. I do feel for her, she’s going to miss the little ones terribly. The constant cackles and playful noises, nonstop jingling from Ichu’s anklets and the fun during feeding time are all going to be missed. With no distractions and no end to the stay at home orders, it’s going to be tough for her for a while. But I’m super happy that we got to spend some quality time with them. Wonder when we can come back. 

Acha

These N95 masks are impossible. How do people breathe in this? And it’s definitely bruising my nose as well. Darn, I’m gonna have to get used to this fast. Why didn’t I think of trying at least one on in the past week? 

This is a risky trip. No doubt. As we got to the airport, I could feel my heart rate picking up. The deserted terminals, heightened security, travelers in PPE kits all adding to the anxiety. There are just way too many unknowns and I just hate that. I wonder how Amma can stay so calm!

What a year it has been. A lovely first birthday for Ichu, an incredible couple of months at work and then this virus that just turned the world on its head. True that there were positives during the lockdown. Good memories were made. We spent a lot of time together as a family and it was a blessing in disguise for both grand parents and kids. Ichu really hit the lottery. She has been pampered to the hilt, her every move cheered and every step encouraged.

How did it get to this point where we’re ready to take this risk and leave the relatively safer confines of home? The head starts spinning as I think about everything that unfolded in the last 6 months. One thing’s clear, we need to get back to our home in Hong Kong to have some semblance of normalcy return to our lives, lives interrupted so badly. Even if it’s a new normal. Or whatever you wanna call it. I hope we’re not rushing it.