What I observed in locked-down Berlin and the challenges to come
COVID-19 is getting overwhelming for our societies these days.
I thought I should take note of my life at this time. As a record and reflection.
Here, on this platform, I’m going to start a journal about thoughts on different aspects of our life under the pandemic, hoping to share it with other people.
Please note that it is also for personal record purposes, so it tends to be subjective and monotonous. I’m going to write based on “this is how I felt”.
The Corona Pandemic Response in Berlin
I think the alertness has become visible here in Berlin since the second week of March or so.
As I work in a restaurant, I could observe the gradual escalation of the regulation on businesses and change in people’s behavior in the city.
On March 12, the mayor of Berlin announced that from the following week, all schools, from primary schools to universities, sports facilities, museums, and concert venues would be closed until the 20th of April, and clubs and bars should shut for a possibly long term.
Although the restaurant was still able to operate, at this point, the number of customers was dwindling.
On March 16, we’re told that restaurants should no longer open after 6 p.m.
So we decided to take the orders until 5:30 p.m., then close before 6 p.m.
It’s getting warmer in Berlin. It’s nice to have lunch outside when the weather is nice. 10 or 15 customers came on that day. Some preferred to eat on the terrace, while others ordered take-out and left.
As always, it’s nice to see people coming to enjoy the food. But, on the other hand, as a server, I didn’t want it to happen that we would transfer the virus from ourselves anyway. I washed my hands so many times while working.
I could observe a little nervous within me that made it awkward when handing over the change to the customers at the checkout. If you are nervous, this would vibrate to the other person and make an uncomfortable moment. I think such a little thing can trigger human interactions become less and less smooth.
Also, I saw it was around this time that the supermarket stores began to
become awkwardly crowded. The idea of Social Distancing is so new that no one got it right. Even though we knew we would have to unpleasantly stick each other’s head, we all went in like we were drawn by a magnet of herd mentality and stood in a long line to a cashier. So did I.
And on the night of March 18, Chancellor Merkel gave a speech on TV calling for caution to curve the spread of the infection. She stressed that the fight against the coronavirus is “the most serious crisis since the Second World War”, and that it is essential for every German citizen to refrain from going out as much as possible to bring the situation under control.
After the speech, the number of customers in the restaurant dropped even more drastically. The store was empty for half an hour, an hour…a rare customer came in and left with takeaway. The owner said, “If we don’t get customers after 3 p.m., we should start preparing to close.”
“Merkel’s speech must have worked,” one of the staff muttered. Empty store. Working in a restaurant with no customers is a real no-brainer. I spent a couple of days wiping around the surface of the kitchen or anywhere I wouldn’t normally clean.
My favourite bakery in the neighbourhood is still open as usual because it’s take-out. It seems to be even thriving because the surrounding shops are closed, and there is a line outside around lunchtime. There was a notice at the entrance saying “Only four people please.”
March 21 (Vernal Equinox Day). Finally, the restaurant had to close. (Except for take-out shops such as kebab shops and bakeries). The official announce told us to wait until April 20 to decide on further measures.
So, my work was cancelled for a while. There wasn’t much to do anyway, and we already have heard that there will be some kind of compensation for the reduced working hours, so everyone around me accepted this decision, saying, “We cannot complain so much.”
Then, on April 15, Chancellor Merkel appeared again on TV again and announced the new measures
-Schools may gradually reopen from May 4, with priority given to final year students in elementary and secondary schools.
-Restaurants, bars, cinemas, and theatres should still be closed and wait until further notice.
-Large concerts, sports events are banned until the end of August.
-Adhere to the Social Distancing rule; no more than two people from each household may go out together and keep a distance of at least two meters (at least 1.5 meters) in public.
and so on.
I got informed that the restaurant will have to close at least for another two weeks. Gastronomy has been like this, however, the situation may be different for other occupations.
Social Distancing is not about refusing others, I think.
When further measures were announced, it has been pointed out that Social Distancing is not sufficiently maintained among citizens.
There would be almost no one who doesn’t feel awkward about “opening a distance of more than 1.5 meters” while we assume we live in a world where individual life and freedom are respected.
And such a sudden change in how we are supposed to behave made us all puzzled. I think a lot of people interpret this rule as “refuse people as much as possible and avoid even talking”. As we hear that the regulation on our lives cannot be lifted unless social distancing is not done properly, we care about it and still don’t know how “well” we do. When I walk around the city, I feel many people are struggling to adjust and handle a strange tension among others.
But, that doesn’t mean we should avoid interactions.
Humans are creatures that inevitably need social interactions.
We all have an experience like a kind word, a glance or a smile from a stranger on the street made a day.
And, we are also adaptable creatures. Even if we have a little more distance, we can still say “thank you” to the cashier at the supermarket or the person collecting garages. Or, we can smile at each other when passing on the street and trying to make a space. Because we all share this hassle.
It’s a time humanity is being tested. Depending on how we respond, the situation in the world could move in a completely different direction.
If we allow Social Distancing, border controls, and any control that could come next to divide our society, we may see a world in “the state of war,” as a president of somewhere said.
But it’s possible to overcome this situation and to strengthen the connection between people. I want to believe that.
To do so, we need to have a bird’s-eye view of what’s going on, instead of filling our minds with fears and anxieties, avoiding each other.
I am going to elaborate on this in the next journals.
Thanks for reading!!
