Wednesday, Feb 19. 
Day 26. It's water under the fridge, no, I'm not being irreverent. My beautiful merino wool slippers are soaked. Without them, I can't keep my toes toasty. Chongqing has a similar latitude to Miami (29° to 25°), which makes us the furnace of China for most of the year but no central heating and a bit chilly in the winter. Getting these puppies dried up is top priority work, innit.

I'm cranky because I tossed and turned all night again, sleepless and anxious, but brunch makes it right. We make pancakes, and I crack open a bottle of 'canneberges et pommes coulis' I've been saving since we pulled over in Manseau, Quebec to bargain in a little roadside shop, stuffed to overflowing with all manner of squished, dried and candied cranberries. I close my eyes, and I'm sitting on a duffel bag full of cranberries, eating squeaky cheese poutine under a maple tree as the lazy summer wind kisses my face and those plump cranberry bushes sway off into oblivion.

Today, 74,282 people in China have been infected, with 14,601 recovered, and 2009 have died. In my city of Chongqing, 296 are currently hospitalized, and 254 have been discharged from the hospital, and five are dead. It's been established that aerosol transmission is possible in a closed environment, so we are encouraged to keep our windows open.

I grow these amazing little bean sprouts, from seeds, They bring me joy. Next, I'll try green onions, garlic, celery, or lettuce.

A friend calls me to say our good buddy Simon and his girlfriend are aboard the Diamond Princess! I message Simon, but it's old news - he's been back for a while, but they're in touch with friends aboard, and it's a total gong show. Scientists are calling that Japanese quarantine aka virus incubator an utter failure but have no explanation of how 3700 people locked in their rooms are spreading infection. A charming retired couple from the UK vlogs that today men in hazmat suits are taping plastic sheets over air vents in the ship's halls. Watch out for invisible cars.

The water heater in our bathroom is slowly leaking, so I put a bucket under it. Xiaolin's still worried. We're not about to call a repairman over, so we unplug it.

I love my wife. She is tough even by Chongqing standards. Imagine the spiritual tough love of Yoda, the chemistry of Wayne's-World-era Tia Carrere and the comedic genius of Mr. Bean. She's terrific, and I adore her.

I bake again today - I haz one bread!

Chonqing Gov releases back to work protocols. They look reasonable but seem challenging for ordinary people. On the commute, we suggest keeping 1m distance from others, wearing a mask and gloves, avoiding rush hour, and driving your own car. In the office, keep 1m away from others, wear a mask, work online, disinfect your office, take a temperature test when entering, use drink containers with a lid, take the stairs, keep windows open, and wash hands frequently. In the cafeteria: wash your hands before meals, dine separately, bring meals from home, and don't share food. In the restroom: keep 1m apart to queue, close the lid before flushing, and wash hands well. Since most public toilets here don't have a lid, I'm not sure how realistic all of this is, but like principles, maybe they're meant to be worked towards rather than fully achieved.