How stars and friends abroad are coping with COVID-19 (Third of a series)
On lockdown like everybody else, stars and friends abroad are trying their best to cope with COVID-19. Quarantined at home, they follow almost the same routine (and trying to find rhyme and reason in it) very much like we do at home. Let’s find out how they are faring out there.
Raymond de Asis Lo, STAR correspondent, City of Bellflower, California.
“Life on lockdown is not really a drastic change for a single guy living by himself in Los Angeles. Sure, the weekends that go by so quickly hanging out with friends are no longer a thing. My Tuesday evening Bible studies and conversations that go on until the early hours of the morning are sadly on hold as well. My constant late-night dash to the nearest AMC cinema to watch the latest blockbuster for ‘free,’ using my A-List membership, is currently not possible.
“My stressful but ironically fun drives amid terrible L.A. traffic to fancy hotels in Beverly Hills for my interviews with Hollywood superstars are on pause, too, and so are my occasional trips to various cities across the US for set visits. But everything else, life is seemingly normal.
“I have a tiny home office setup in my bedroom where I can work on my day job as an accounting consultant for hundreds of my clients — and I am busier on that front it seems. With most restaurants closed, it’s not really challenging in the kitchen cooking for myself and I am thankful I am not going to starve at least. I maintain my regular weekday hours although I have been going to bed much later.
“The first few days of lockdown, I was binge-ing on British series like the latest adaptation of Vanity Fair and at least two versions of Pride & Prejudice. Lately, I have been educating myself on various pandemics throughout history care of various documentaries on Amazon Prime. Netflix and Disney+ are also very good companions these days. I have been taking my usual Vitamin C supplements but doubled the dosage. I have been taking my anti-allergy medications and Flaxseed oil religiously as well. I try to go out every other day and soak in the sun for at least 15 minutes.
“On weekends, I drive to the nearest park and do some brisk walking, minor jogging for an hour — away from the crowd, of course. My grocery trips are very seldom because I steadily stocked up on supplies starting the day Tom Hanks tested positive but the biggest challenge is doing my laundry! Socially, I have various groups on text and social media where I stay in touch with my friends and family. We play those ‘quarantine quizzes’ and have fun solving riddles like kids! Occasionally, I would engage in some heated political debates and arguments with my friends, too.
“This pandemic has indirectly touched my life. I have close friends who are in the so-called frontlines as nurses and caregivers and their stories of bravery fill me with inspiration and give me so much hope that we will win over this fight soon. One brother of a very good friend of mine, a lawyer based in Manhattan, sadly succumbed to the virus in mid-March and he will be likewise remembered.
“With prayers, this single guy will survive this pandemic along with all of his friends and family
“God speed.”
(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)
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