GROCERY SHOPPING DURING THE MCO PERIOD

Doing grocery shopping is not something new to me. However it is not the same anymore when one has to go to the market during the MCO period. There are just too many restrictions and changes that shoppers have to adapt.

I just chose to visit the hypermarket in Taman Suria which is located near to my house. First of all, it opened up for business very early at 8.00 a.m. as they had to close shop by 8.00 p.m. At the entrance, they were two staff waiting - one would be pumping the sanitizing liquid onto your palms from the bottle while the other would be checking your temperature. If you were healthy, then you would be given a small numbered card so as to keep track of the number of customers in the market at one time. A crowded space should be avoided as this could make the COVID-19 virus spread easily. The whole family members could not now enter the place but only one - specifically one of the parents. Everyone was seen wearing face masks which showed that the precaution measure was taken really seriously.

Do you know what is one the most sought after food items during this pandemic era? Gardenia bread! I was lucky as the new batch of bread just arrived but the shelves were all empty when I first came.

H A P P I N E S S

Everyone was also observing the social distancing directive. Instead of the usual exciting and cheerful mode while doing grocery shopping, the ambience was now sombre and formal. When people passed by in the shopping aisles, they were just eyeing each other suspiciously and was trying to get rid of the other person as soon as possible. Shopping had become an obligation rather than the more relaxed weekly/fortnightly/monthly routine activity. People just wanted to grab whatever they needed and rushed home quickly.

I had been out for more than 14 days so I had to seize the day. I had to maximize the usage of the valuable face mask. The next stop was the Cold Storage Supermarket at Plaza Pelangi because that was the place where I could get better and fresher supplies of fruits. And there were even lesser people. As usual, a staff was waiting at the entrance with the hand sanitizer bottle and thermometer.

GOOD NEWS: Gardenia Bread was in abundance here! If you are looking for your daily supply of Gardenia, it is actually a matter of being at the right place at the right time.

The last place was the market at Kampung Melayu but I did not take any photos there, except of two cats eating. There were still kind people who went out to feed the strays on the streets at time like this.

My first time going out of the house after 2 weeks of self-isolation during MCO period was something to remember. I counted disinfecting my palms, front and back, 5 times - twice at the two supermarkets, and three other times at the pharmacy, the bakery shop and the bank. Wearing a face mask was not a pleasant thing to do, and people got confused really easily. Two people spoke Chinese to me, but that happens to me all the time, even without the mask.