Baby steps

After months of new cases averaging under 2 per day in Shanghai, we are baby-stepping our way back to how things used to be.  Ben has been back at work for a few weeks, but things definitely look differently.  Masks in class, students social distancing, temperature checks, and lunchroom separation make school open but odd.  After a soft open with just a few grades, all of the middle school and high school will be back this week.  The girls are scheduled to go back for the month of June.  They are definitely fighting e-learning fatigue and have good days and bad days.  They enjoyed their "wacky hair day" last week and even got little chia pets to grow other wacky hair.

Other things reopening include some movie theaters (with social distancing), the dentist, and Disney.  It is good we could get our dental checkups as Pip just lost another tooth. Disney is taking major precautions as they're capping attendance at 20% capacity, ride seating was different, they cleaned everything you can touch between each ride, there were designated standing spots throughout the park to help ensure social distancing, and anyone dealing with trash was wearing a hazmat suit.  The crowds were smaller and we even got a ride to ourself towards the end of the night when it seemed like there were more staff members telling us to social distance than ride-goers.  We managed to go on three rides that we've missed on our past trips and had a fun day despite some rain.

Museums have also started opening a bit, although we tried to go to one for Mother's Day that was still closed.  There was a museum with a Bob Dylan exhibit that we really enjoyed for the music, the lyrics, and many sites from Minnesota. 

The girls are really into legos

Ben & Kara attended a zoom wedding

April

Well, as crazy as everything has been, as Shanghai opens up again, we've enjoyed getting to wait in lines using social distancing and get tickets into places like the Shanghai Wild Animal Park and our neighboring park's fully disinfected amusement park.  We wear masks everywhere we go (even if we take them off for pictures), often have to use hand sanitizer before entering places, have our temperature taken entering public spaces, and sometimes need to show our digital code saying that we have been in Shanghai long enough not be a threat of carrying Covid-19.  

While Lent was more real than ever as far as a connection to 40 days in the wilderness, Easter has been a bit of a rising here in Shanghai.  The girls enjoyed their egg and candy hunt and we're still finding the random egg.  The girls continue to enjoy watching the tadpoles grow in the complex's tiny pond.  Cards, iPads, our kite, and even helping water the complex flowers have been activities of late. Week 12 of e-learning starts this week and the girls don't have much of an end in sight.  Ben is rumored to be going back in early May, but we shall see.

 

Our friends have all tested negative for Covid-19 upon re-entry to the country and then sat their 14-day quarantines and are now allowed outside their apartments again.  We are happy to see them, go for walks together, get dinner, yoga, and just hang out.  The girls are happy to see people who aren't their parents again and even welcomed a babysitter for the change of pace.

We were wrong; we are sorry

Well, with plenty of evidence and a world turned upside-down, it is clear that we were wrong in our original assessment of COVID-19.  Given the success of the measures enacted in Shanghai in January, we initially underestimated the threat. We apologize if we misled anyone and we are sorry we didn't take this more seriously in the beginning. 

We remain healthy and we are very grateful. We are still out of school; life in Shanghai is returning to normal in some regards, but not in others. 

We are very concerned for everyone in the US and around the world, and we wish for everyone to be safe and healthy.  We miss all of you and pray for you often.  We sincerely hope that all of the amazing people fighting this virus in a multitude of ways will be successful.  We hope that the preventative measures and the care given can be equitable and effective.  Sending our love!