Monday, Feb 24 - Good housekeeping
Day 31. A normalcy bias, aka the ostrich effect, is an inclination for people to believe things will always function the way they have. This causes them to underestimate the probability of disaster and potential outcomes. We often see this when talking about the environment, sustainability, animal rights, and infectious disease.

I prepare for online teaching with a strong coffee and some textbooks. I send a few friends pictures of gutted Italian supermarkets; now might be a good time to stock up on a few months of rice and medications. Being prepared is something we can do, given the right information. The first step to escaping normalcy bias is situational awareness; trust your instincts.

President Trump lands in India for a whirlwind promo tour to help secure him the Indian-American vote. This visit is a welcome distraction for President Modi, a world-famous hugger with an inspiring rags-to-riches story. Modi has a track record for improving sanitation (100 million toilets!). Trump, who calls Modi the (new) 'father of India,' makes his first stop at the world's largest cricket stadium. One hundred thousand people crowd around the friendly leaders, hoping for a handshake. Although India has repatriated more than 600 Indians from Wuhan, it only has three confirmed cases. Mounting worries over undetected infection cause many to stay home. Chinese lawmakers deliberate a new ban on wildlife trade and their sale for food. This puts a spring in my step.

The first chartered train for 500 migrant workers from 30 districts in Chongqing leaves for Zhejiang Province. Today 77,269 of 79,707 people with COVID-19 are in China. While the rate of daily infection here is decreasing, clusters in half a dozen other countries are exploding.

Chongqing has two new infections today, and 234 hospitalized, including 21 severe cases and ten critical cases. We've had six deaths, and 335 have recovered.

Thailand didn't ban South Koreans from entry, but 6 other countries did.

Today I work hard to convince Xiaolin to order more rice. Three packages arrive. I put on my gear and crank up my rock cover of "My Corona." We've got weeks of greens, milk, and yogurt, but no rice. She tells me her favorite 'Thai Rice' was out of stock. I'm not impressed.

I'm pretty sure this will be over soon, but I still start boiling water to fill the empty spring water bottles. At two liters a day per person, I can store a month of water for peace of mind.

I start a new diet plan, one meal a day (OMAD). Fasting for 23 hours a day is shown to kill dead cells and strengthen my immune system. My huge lunch consists of three boiled eggs, refried beans, quinoa, and toast with a side of hummus, salsa, and hot sauce. It's hard to finish, but by sundown, my belly is rumbling.

My slippers are sticking to the floor. I miss our friendly, affordable, and familial 'Ayi' (Chinese for auntie, our housekeeper). For the past six years, she's kept our place spotless. Now she's in her village, so I take two hours to mop, and almost slip half a dozen times.

After teaching and editing the news, I play the PS4 game I'm writing for. Not eating dinner gives me way more time to play with.

I repurpose a magnetic strip to fix the fridge door, and old Benben poops all over the living room floor. Even as I banish him to the balcony, Hachoo, in solidarity, maintains eye contact with me as she pees a big puddle. I scream until my throat burns and mop the floors all over again. That's just good housekeeping.