Sanity During Lockdown

When the fatal pandemic surfaced, it brought our entire world to an abrupt holt. We had to adapt our daily lives under the Covid-19 inspired lockdown and social distancing had to be maintained. It changed the way we went about our daily routines and it affected the manner in which households normally operated. I was concerned for my children, my husband, my family and friends and wondered how we were to survive and cope in these unprecedented days. 

We had to adjust to different lifestyles and attend to unwanted tasks, like attending to chores and disinfecting everything we touched. I felt it was my priority to implement our new living style, but soon realised that lockdown means different things to different people in our household. I found myself being busy, busy with tasks that just never ended, cleaning and disinfecting was tiring and took up most of my time and energy. This continued for almost two weeks when I decided enough is enough. I came up with a mantra “YOU HAVE TO LOVE THEM BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE THEM” and shared this proudly with my children as to how I will get through surviving “them” during lockdown. 

They were coping on the other hand, and happily wrapped up in a world filled with K-drama, K-pop and K-beauty. Both my daughters try and still are educating me in their newly found interest of Korean culture. This K-world is not really new to them, because two-to three-years to young people are considered as ages ago. Daily I overhear music or let me rephrase myself,  I am forced to listen to music that consists of lyrics in a mixture of English and Korean being played and or sung out loudly by two very enthusiastic fans. They follow a specific K-pop group BTS, they are “ARMY” and they “stan” other K-pop groups. These tunes are extremely catchy and I find myself singing or humming tunes from K-pop music. In all of this I’m also still learning the different terminologies of this K-pop world. 

My loving teen daughter tells me every day “saranghaeyo” (pronounce sah-rahn-gh-aee yoh) “I love you” in Korean, sweet right? However, for me it is quite a mouthful to remember and to try and pronounce “Nado Saranghae” meaning “I love you too”. My daughters watches K-dramas with subheadings and together they keep themselves entertained and at the same time they are learning Korean culture. They experience so much joy. I hear them laughing their hearts out and sometimes I witness their red puffy eyes caused by some good crying whilst watching these K-dramas that they so willingly occupy hours of the days with. My teenager proclaims proudly that she does not only cry for K-dramas, but is also moved by BTS’s voices, lyrics and beauty. To them on the other hand, lockdown created the ideal opportunity to catch up and watch K-dramas and or K-pop concerts. The seven year age difference forgotten as they bond and became one another’s besties. 

The days quarrelling like only siblings can do, still exist, however, will be quickly forgotten as they get along, in sharing and enjoying their interest in the K-world of drama and music. Both my girls are caring, respectful and beautiful individuals and seeing them coping and surviving in these uncertain times, makes me feel at ease. I also love the fact that they are inspired by BTS’s music trilogy “Love Yourself.” This helps them to be more confident in who they are while facing the growing joys and pains of life. If only I can get them to show that keen and caring interest towards household chores.