Beijing Bunker: Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Fitness Instructor
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As Beijing enters its sixth week in self-quarantine, the stories of how people have been dealing with the coronavirus outbreak – by staying, leaving, or watching on from afar – are many and varied. In Beijing Bunker, we quiz Beijingers on what approach they've been taking to stay safe and sane through the ordeal.
Self-quarantine is hard for anyone, not least those whose would regularly be making a living as a fitness instructor. Australian Daniel Street would usually be doing just that, but over the past several weeks has instead had to settle for trying to stay fit while stuck inside. For the remainder of the time, he looks after his two pets and spends time with his partner, which he says has only helped him realize how important they are to him.
Can you first tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
My name is Daniel Street and I’ve been living in China for the last three years, going on four. I come from a small beach city in Australia called the Gold Coast. What brought me to China was the chance to work in an environment different from mine. As I said, I come from a small beach city, and life there is very slow. I wanted something a little more challenging and I found that here. I've spent my time here working as a fitness instructor. It has been a really great experience for me.
Would you consider yourself safe, sane, safe and sane, or other? Why?
How sane can one really be haha? But yes, I do feel safe and pretty sane. I think we are lucky to be in Beijing; precautions were taken very quickly here and as long as we continue to follow public health notices, we should be fine. As for our sanity, I'm sure we will all go back to our work or study with our own stories of survival to tell.
Yes, I was meant to spend the new year in Chongqing with a good friend from home. I was so excited to try the local hotpot. Most of the foreigners I know are out of China waiting for their daily lives to resume.
Company is always welcome when working out
How have you been spending your time since the outbreak – are there any projects or hobbies you’ve been able to catch up on?
Too many hours watching movies. I watched everything Iqiyi could recommend, which lead to a two-day princess movie marathon. Other than that, I've been learning to play banjo, cooking, and looking after my pet dog and rabbit.
Has the situation affected your work or business? If so, how?
Yes, sadly, because we run group boxing classes, we have been on hiatus since the start of Chinese New Year to present. We have been told to avoid crowds in public areas, and all gyms had to close their doors temporarily. However, many trainers are remaining active by uploading home workout videos.
Have there been any unexpected upsides?
There have been a few sweet ones. My mother and I make contact every day keeping to keep each other updated on the current situation. My partner and I have much more time to spend together, which has been very nice.
Sadly, I haven't really used any kinds of resources during this period. I've been pretty much shut off by playing games or connecting on WeChat. I feel like I'm back to being a teenager.
"I’m lucky I have my pets because they keep me somewhat busy with all their meals and mess"
What's one thing that you've done that has saved you a lot of hassle/time/insanity?
I guess since I've been stuck at home I haven't had a lot to do, so I haven't encountered many hassles and I have nothing but time. I think keeping some type of schedule is the best thing to stop you from going insane and staying up all night long. I’m lucky I have my pets because they keep me somewhat busy with all their meals and mess.
Honestly, getting back to work. I love keeping an active lifestyle and my work is a big part of it. Being able to communicate with other people face to face is something I will never take for granted again.
READ: Beijing Bunker: "I Go out Every Day for at Least 10 Minutes. I Am Not Counting Beer Calories."
Images courtesy of Daniel Street
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