THE DIARY OF A MALAYSIAN TRAVELLING HOME FROM ABROAD DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - PART FOUR

[CONTINUATION OF PART THREE]

8th MAY 2020 [first day quarantine] I was extremely exhausted and sleepy, and right after the Subuh prayer, I just fell into a deep slumber. When I woke up in the afternoon the first thing I did was to check on my daughters.in their rooms nearby - via the telephone. The KKM [Health Ministry] staff on duty who were stationed at the hotel called us to find out whether we had any fever, cough or breathing difficulty. They also asked if we had any health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems. Finally, I had to give the contact number of a close relative in any case of emergency.

My youngest daughter, Nurin, panicked a bit as this was her first time staying away from the parents. I had to guide her of things that needed to be done by sending photos on the smart phones. For example, I had to show her how to find the Qiblat [the direction pointing to Mecca for our prayer sessions] which could actually be found in the drawer. She then told me the water in the sink was filling up so I had to instruct her to pull the lever to let the water run down. As we had to wash our own clothes during the quarantine session, I had to teach her how to do that in the bathtub. They had to be independent for the next 14 days - which was in a way a blessing in disguise.

We were advised to keep our rooms clean. No visitors or housekeeping staff were allowed. Muslims who are fasting for Ramadhan get their meals twice for the break fast and "sahur", while those who are not fasting get three meals in a day. The food is put on the chairs outside the door so there is no human contact at all. The room occupants just get the food or any items left outside the door so there is definitely no time to linger and chat longer.

The food for the break fast session arrived at the door as early as at 6:00 p.m.

my first break fast meal

I personally feel that we are now staying in a luxurious room hotel BUT to be locked up behind the doors for 14 long days, this would not something I would fancy. Nevertheless, I am still thankful that we are provided with such comfortable facilities throughout the quarantine period. I am still praying that we are free from the COVID-19 virus and will get our freedom back soon. We just have to be patient, very patient and I keep telling myself and my daughters, 14 days is actually not that long.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART FIVE ....