What is happening to the overseas Chinese in all countries since the new pneumonia epidemic spreads all over the world? China Overseas Chinese Network (ID: qiaowangzhongguo) specially launched a series of "Overseas Residents" series of manuscripts, telling the story of the "war epidemic" left by overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese. In this issue, Fan Xiaole, a Guangdong-based expatriate teacher in Indonesia, described his left-behind life.
I am an expatriate teacher from Guangdong Province. On August 12, 2018, I came to Indonesia to teach in Java Island. I have spent a year and a half here.
The outbreak of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic changed my life.
On January 27, I returned to Indonesia on the 23rd day of school. The atmosphere of the office was a little different that day, and there was no need for Chinese teachers to attend regular meetings. After work, as usual, I walked on the road with an umbrella alone, thinking to myself, today is the same, nothing new.
Soon, I returned to the dormitory, and when I was about to take a break, a rush of footsteps and knocks knocked us all out. It turned out to be the person in charge of our Chinese Department. She looked a little nervous and said the first sentence: "Teacher A is now in the hospital isolation ward and is suspected of being infected with new coronary pneumonia. No one can see it."
Upon hearing this, everyone was very worried about Teacher A. We all know that the hospital that Teacher A only went to because of his stomach. Everyone didn't believe this was true.
Sure enough, Teacher A stayed in the hospital for one night, and the test report came out, no problem at all.
This is the first time we feel so close to the virus. This incident is over, and the spread of the virus in Indonesia has just begun.
I have never bought protective equipment. When I announced a confirmed case, I ran to three pharmacies without masks.
Later, I learned that there are still low-cost masks sold by the government in chain convenience stores, so I asked my colleagues to help me buy a box of 50 masks. When I go to work the next day, I see a box of masks on the table, and I am very happy. Who knows that when you open the box, there are only 6 inside (restricted purchase), and it is strapped, but it is better than nothing.
Masks restricted to purchase in Indonesia. (Photo by author)
In mid-March, the Indonesian epidemic became serious. On March 15, we received a notice that schools in all provinces of Java began to suspend classes and switched to online classes. Since that day, seven of our Chinese teachers have been working in dormitories and have started to live in isolation. In order to protect the safety of teachers, the school bans Chinese teachers from going out.
School leaders brought food (photo by author)
On March 16, the first day of quarantine, the leaders of the Chinese school brought us food, and also ordered the school bus driver to pick us up once a week to buy necessities in the supermarket. The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Guangdong Province learned that we lacked protective materials and ran several supermarkets to buy protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, and masks, and mailed them to our expatriates to ensure our safety.
The protective materials provided by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Guangdong Province (Photo courtesy of the author)
When we received these things, our hearts were warm, and the words "same root, same origin, help each other" made us cry in tears.
In the two months of isolation, in addition to the online classes on time every day, we also read books and exercise, and exercise every day at 6 am and 3 pm.
Our segregated life abroad is calm and fun. Since the outbreak of the global epidemic, we have received greetings from friends, relatives, friends and colleagues at home every day. Here, I would like to say that we are doing very well now. Do n’t miss it. In June, our service period is up, and we will be able to successfully complete the task of teaching support.
Author: Fan Yue