Adopting to new normal and getting back to local community

Once the first state of emergency was lifted, it was the time to adopt to so-called new normal. Reduced working hours and days, wash hands once arriving at office, rush to bathroom for a shower once back home, sanitize hands at shop front, keeping social distance. It was also a time to reconnect with friends, neighbours and local community.

My mother and her friends were ready to go back to their regular chat over coffee at local community centre as well as local cafes. They were eager to do not only because they had loads to catch up, they wanted to support local businesses. At first, I was slightly concerned with them visiting cafes, as their average age was around 80. Not exactly an appropriate age to go out to mingle while the virus was still strong, I thought. Luckily, none of them became frail during quarantine. Armed with facial masks, small bottles of hand sanitizer and wallets, they began exploring their favourite cafes, shops and restaurants.

Every day over dinner, my mother reported her venture with her friends. Their top favourite place is the little café in a community centre nearby. The place serve coffee and biscuit, as well as cakes and sweets. The place is run by a local social welfare centre, and the food and drink have been produced by a workshop for handicapped people. Mother and her friends were happy to see the place reopened after quarantine. Comfortable large tables and sofas remained the same, only the difference was the tables were equipped with transparent acrylic board on the tables. They enjoyed their usual favourites, chatted hours for their quarantine experience and gossips.

Another destination was local cafes. Hoshino is one of their favourite. However, they couldn’t enjoy their time there. It was not café’s fault, but it was the manner of younger ones in the café. Apparently my mother’s friends were not happy people talking loud without wearing masks. It made them uncomfortable. The number of Covid patients were decreasing all right, but the virus might be still there. Why don’t the young ones take precaution? You could have a word with the café about this, just talk to a waitress, I suggested. “It’s a matter of manner, not something you should be told to” was my mother’s answer. She has a point. It is a social manner under new normal. Younger people are fit and healthy, and with the excitement of seeing their friends after a while, they might forget that they were in Covid days. I believe it is still a thing that someone should told them to.

My mother’s bunch decided to venture further, and had a lunch at a café. I heard about this hip American café before. It is a posh restaurant and cafe mostly located in bigger cities like Tokyo or Yokohama. The shop somehow decided to open a very small cafe nearby our town. “We must contribute to our local business” was my mother and her friend’s words. They took seats at outside table, and enjoyed quiche and orange cake with café au leit.

It was amazing how these pensioners knows how to use money wisely. They usually live modest life, but once it is a time to go out, they are ready to spend money. Covid situation has fuelled their decision, and because of the high-quality meal at the café, the ladies went to café for several times in a month. “You can’t let them close down, their food and drinks are in such high quality. We need them in our community” was their opinion.

My mother dragged me to the café once. I was quite hesitated to go there. With reduced working hours, my income had already plummeted. It was quite daunting because I knew the café’s food and drink were expensive.
In the end, we ordered small refreshments. I sipped the coffee daintily, trying to get the best out of it. It was good, indeed. 

The tables was almost full, both inside and outside tables, people were enjoying food and drink. Without facial masks, it might seem as just any other weekend. I would be forever more grateful for my mother’s suggestion. It added to my monotonous and stressful life between home and office, being nervous not to bring in the novel virus.