It's official.
The two lines on my test kit have changed my life for a while.
And I'm very happy.
Yes, I feel actual joy from having COVID-19.
I don't mean any offence to those who've caught the virus before I did -- especially at a time when there were no vaccines and no clarity of the flu beast.
I'm truly thankful that I am getting COVID-19 only now, two years after the pandemic first broke.
And there are many things to be thankful for.
The fact that I'm triple vaxxed (a status so golden that people actually list it in their Grindr profile, as Stanley my sex bunny friend shared).
The fact that I have no underlying medical conditions.
The fact that I live in a wonderful country Singapore where tele-consulting a doctor and have meds sent to your place is just within a few taps on my phone.
My sex bunny friend Stanley would Amen to that, given that he too, taps on his phone and gets sex sent to his place.
I'm also truly relieved that I live alone -- no need to worry about isolating myself from my family members, or have to mask up and visit the toilet after shouting warnings to everyone else to steer clear.
But that's me being thankful.
There's a fine line between being thankful and feeling happy to get COVID.
And I think maybe I've crossed that line.
Perhaps, I'm writing this -- and feeling joy -- 'cos I am too privileged.
That the only thing I am fussing over is whether my taste buds are affected (as opposed to whether the virus will attack my aged lungs and lead to my eventual death).
But there's no denying that I am happy.
For the longest time, I had not slowed down at work, and having had COVID made me do just that.
Just a bit.
But I did slow down.
There was no way I could focus on reading research papers or writing reports when my body felt like it's just been kicked around by a baby elephant.
Besides, having COVID finally gave me the perfect -- and responsible -- excuse to stop meeting people.
It's emotionally draining when everyone of my friends wants a piece of me.
I'm not complaining about being popular. I am complaining about being emotionally emptied whenever I meet people.
Stanley agrees because he also feels emptied whenever he meets people.
But I'm in no mood to explore that story today.
And so, on Day One of my COVID, despite being extra exhausted, I made it a point to enjoy my self-isolation.
I put my iRobot to work every morning so that I can have a clean home to recuperate in.
I went on to place all my grocery orders online, stocking up on drinks that would cool my body, buying sensible food items that my body needed for recovery.
I would drink water as if I were addicted to it.
My meals comprise fruits -- sometimes a large bowl of mixed fruits with non-fat yoghurt, sometimes, a large bowl of fruit salad with cheese and olives.
In between, I would make myself a cup of hot peppermint tea, and allowed my comfortable sofa to hug me while I binge-watched Netflix.
During that time, I put my iPhone on Do Not Disturb because that's part of my recovery process.
And boy, did I love the me-time.
I didn't tell everyone I had COVID.
I don't want to be one of those people who deem it vital to post a photo of their positive result on IG.
Why? Why must you all do that?
I did tell just a handful of people -- my partner J, younger brother Barry (but not my sister because that one will raid the pigeon boxes of Chinese medicinal halls and sweep up entire NTUC shelves and send them to my home, along with hourly messages to ensure I am not dead and decomposing alone at home).
Best girl friend Nisa and Stanley are the only ones outside my family to know.
Yet, I'm fortunate enough to have gifts flooding my doorstep.
One package came with an assortment of Chinese medicines, each one to help me deal with my individual COVID symptom.
Another care basket came from outside of Singapore -- from my overseas friends who are also work mates. It comprises gui ling gao -- some bitter herbal jelly that's meant to cool one's body heat, as well as honey sea coconut drinks.
Yet another one sent me tubs of soothing beancurd that's enough for me and my descendants.
Knowing that I have such love from people is comforting.
Best of all, I feel totally rested and am grateful.
And I guess looking at things from this perspective, and feeling joy from it, is what being positive truly means.
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