This Expat Life (February): Saigon in the Time of Coronavirus

After moving abroad in July 2014, I started compiling monthly roundup posts about life as an expat in Southeast Asia and all the nitty-gritty that goes on behind the scenes here at Travel Lush. Check out my most recent monthly roundup posts: December and January.

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As the title suggests, this post is all about the coronavirus, because it literally impacted every aspect of my life in February – and it will continue to do so for months to come.

Just a few weeks ago, life was so relaxing. I spent my days working remotely in Bali and Lombok, floating in the bluest of oceans, soaking up the sun, and just appreciating how lucky I am to have a job that lets me work remotely.

At first, the coronavirus was just a blip on my radar. At the time I was isolated on the tiny Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan. But once I re-entered the real world in Bali and then Saigon at the beginning of February, it was clear the fear was real. And since I work for a media company in Shanghai, it’s quite literally my job to write about the coronavirus daily. It was obviously having a huge impact on the city early on. So I’ve been tracking the news closely every day since the outbreak started making headlines in January.

Little did I know how serious it would get. I didn’t know that ultimately the economic struggle caused by the coronavirus in China would impact me and my job. The rapid pace at which everything has unraveled is mindboggling.

I wrote this in an Instagram post on February 20.

“The company I work for in China is struggling, as so many businesses are in China and the rest of Asia. I learned today that I might not have a job in a month or maybe two or even next week. Who knows. All I know right now is that my pay has suddenly been cut in half until this blows over or my company decides to call it quits. In the meantime, my generally reliable company has been slow to pay me for the past two months. I have yet to receive my last paycheck…”

Twelve days later and my company officially filed for bankruptcy. They owe me (and all of my coworkers) thousands of dollars that I’m guessing I’ll never receive. While I knew things weren’t looking good, I thought I’d have more time to explore other options and obtain new clients. I thought I’d have more of a buffer financially to ease my mind. But that’s just not the case.

I know I’m not the only one suffering the economic impact caused by the coronavirus. This stretches far and wide. And my heart goes out to all of you who are sick or hurting financially. I’m hoping, REALLY hoping, that this thing passes as quickly as possible.

All that being said I’m lucky to be healthy and I know that I’ll be fine in the long run. It’s only been three days since I lost my job and it’s still sinking in. But it is what it is. Now it’s time to start exploring new options, perhaps taking some online courses to beef up my skillset and get to work. Despite being in a state of shock and super disheartened, I know I have to stay motivated and positive. Truth be told, I’m not always good at doing that.

One thing that’s helped me through unemployment during my move to Jakarta and later to Phnom Penh was this blog. It gave me purpose, community and support then. I’m hoping it will help me through this too.

So what’s it like living in Vietnam right now?

I’ll probably write a whole post soon about what life is like in Vietnam during the coronavirus outbreak — I have a lot to say about it. For those who are concerned about me (dad), I’m doing just fine. Aside from a palpable sense of angst in the city, it’s life as usual(ish) here in Ho Chi Minh City.

That’s not to say that things aren’t weird on the ground here. Since all schools and universities are closed indefinitely, we spend most of our time in our apartment. It’s a lot less crowded in the streets (at least where I live in the suburbs) since people are spending a lot more time at home these days. Not to mention tourism has dropped drastically throughout Vietnam, which is really sad. (There are still people traveling to Vietnam, and in no way do I discourage people from doing so! Though I’m not a health expert…)

The plus-side is that the air quality has been astonishingly good during the past few weeks since there is way less construction and far fewer people on the roads. Silver linings?

The mood is a bit strange in my neighborhood. I can’t really speak to what things are like downtown, where most tourists are. In my neighborhood, I’d say 70% of people are wearing masks outside, even when there’s no one around. And people are really making an effort to keep their distance from others. It’s a bit dystopian-esque to see so many people in masks. Like I said, it’s just kind of weird here these days.

For the record, I’m not freaking out. And no I’m not going back to the States. While I am not wearing masks around, I’m definitely being hyper-vigilant about washing my hands and not touching my face. If I do get sick, I will for sure wear a mask for the safety of others.

While only 16 cases have been reported in Vietnam thus far (all cured), I’m expecting those numbers to go up soon. Let’s just say the testing/reporting in Vietnam is pretty curious for a country that borders China and has large populations of Korean and Japanese expats. Given that all those countries have been hit hard by the coronavirus, it’s only a matter of time before Vietnam will start to report their cases.

Here’s to hoping this all ends soon. In sum, February kind of sucked for me and I’m glad it’s over. Onward and upward?

Travel

Given my newly unemployed status and the temporary closure of my partner’s university, we’re going to do a little bit of traveling in Vietnam this month. Being cooped up indoors for the past month has us going a bit stir-crazy. Also, my neighbors are renovating their apartment and it’s super loud. So yeah, get me out of here now!

We’re thinking either the mountain town of Dalat, which we haven’t been to in years or the beach town of Vung Tau. I’m leaning towards Dalat! Because tourism is very low in Vietnam right now, it’s actually going to be interesting to see just how quiet these places will be. I know a lot of businesses are suffering so we might as well get out there and support small businesses!

Instagram

A look back at the first week of February in Amed, Bali and Kuta, Lombok. I want to go back!

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NEW BLOG POST: 7 Incredible Things To Do In Amed, Bali . . . Before I visited Amed, I’d seen the name mentioned a bunch of times – mainly in guidebooks. But for some reason, I had it in my mind that Amed was yet another tourist trap. Because I’ve been to Bali so many times, I was looking for a new place to explore during a visit to Bali in 2017. So very randomly, I decided to give Amed a chance. I was floored 🌴 Honestly, it’s nearly impossible not to be taken with Amed’s beauty. With the enormous Mount Agung (Bali’s largest active volcano) serving as the backdrop, the town is lined with coral-filled bays, azure waters and colorful fishing boats. And that’s just the coast. Look inland and you’ll spot picturesque rice paddies and towering green mountains that look like they were shipped straight from Maui 💚 I wrote this guide of things to do in Amed after my first visit. After my 10-day trip to Amed in January 2020, I figured I’d give this post a little update for anyone who’s pondering a trip to this little slice of paradise 😎Link in bio. Happy reading!

A post shared by Justine Lopez | Travel Lush (@thetravellush) on Feb 17, 2020 at 5:28am PST

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NEW POST: This Expat Life (December 2019 & January 2020): Vietnam, Cambodia, the US & Indonesia . . . The past two months have taken me around the world — from Vietnam to Cambodia to California to Indonesia. (This photo was snapped at what is probably my favorite hotel ever in Lombok, Indonesia 😍) These last two months were a whirlwind but they were amazing. From spending the holidays with family in California to island hopping in Indonesia to coping with the coronavirus outbreak, these two months have been a wild ride. Without further ado, here’s what I got up to in December and January! (Link in bio)

A post shared by Justine Lopez | Travel Lush (@thetravellush) on Feb 4, 2020 at 4:34am PST

How did your February shape up? Hope it was better than mine!