[ENG] My Lockdown Experience in Bandung

As we know all over the earth, we are facing the same problem: the COVID-19 pandemic. Most countries are applying the lockdown policy, including Bandung, West Java Province, the city where I live.

My office started to do online classes on March 16, 2020. That was when the city government had not yet ordered every educational institution to close their offline activity. Even though the government had already announced that there were COVID-19 patients detected in Indonesia.

For the 1st month, I obeyed the government's suggestion that everybody should work and study from home. I mean, I didn’t go out of my house at all. I stayed at home 24/7 for one month. Oh, I forgot. I went out of home only once or twice a week to a small vegetable shop near my home. I walked to the shop because it was only 50 m away from my home. For one month, I did the home cooking and didn’t buy any food outside, even from online food service.

I could say that the bad news frightened me. The television, the internet, also the radio gave many instructions about the Do and Don’ts during the pandemic. They were broadcasting the numbers of positive patients, the number of deaths, and the conflicts among the society.

Finally, the Central Government applied the Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar (PSBB), which was close to a lockdown concept, but only for specific areas and some different applied regulations. PSBB for Great Bandung Area started in April 22, 2020 for two weeks. Great Bandung Area includes Bandung City, Bandung Kabupaten, West Bandung Kabupaten, Cimahi City, and Sumedang Kabupaten.

PSBB in Bandung was extended 3 times, so until today, the total duration for Great Bandung was 2 months. 

For me, this pandemic is not only a health matter, but it’s also more than that. It’s about how people are willing to slow down their hectic life, pull out of their busy lives, and re-learn how to be humble in the right way. Some religious days were celebrated during this pandemic. The Nyepi Day for Hindus, Easter Day for Christians, Eid Fitr for Moslems, and Vesak Day for Buddhists. 

Excluding Hindus (because Nyepi Day is a reflection day when they do nothing but fasting and praying), the people with other religions above would normally have an exciting celebration for their religious days. But all of those rousing plans had to be canceled without any excuses. Even if there were some people who insisted on praying massively with their communities.

I was glad that I did a few new things at home, such as cooking, gardening, cleaning the house and washing my laundry regularly, made some handmade masks, was involved in some part of kid’s online service, had a video collaboration with office mates, finished reading books and writing a review, and of course, practiced more English every day. Did I get bored? Only a bit J

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Thanks to David John Titheridge who has helping me with the correction.