👋 hey guys.

it's been a while. there have been a serious lack of posts the past ~7 months and I hope to change that.

a lot has happened in the past few months: Australian wildfires, Iran, uncertain political climate, tumbling markets, and of course, Coronavirus.

let's just hope we'll be ok. lol.

In all seriousness, a lot has changed in the past 3 months. First, I graduated. Second, I moved to the emerald city. Third, I started my job at AWS.

And side note, Polarity 10 is out. Y'all better check it out 💎.

moving.

To say this wasn't a big adjustment would just be a straight lie. Despite having lived here prior for ~3 months, picking up my entire life from one place to the next is much easier said than done. There was a lot of planning involved in what to purchase and coordinating with the building manager on how to handle items being shipped there before I arrived. Having landed in Seattle before 💩 hit the fan, I was spared the excess crowds and lack of necessities at Costco.

Everything had to be either delivered or transported using Lyft, which meant that cost was sky-high. Seriously, I don't think I've spent more time and money in a month than the two months I spent physically moving and buying all the things I needed. Luckily, I was able to explore much of Seattle's food scene while I waited for the rest of my kitchen supplies to get shipped. Streets were filled despite the cold and at this time, the panic didn't hit anyone. Things were looking pretty good.

beer virus.

Things were looking less good by early March. Infections were picking up in the Seattle area without any sign of slowing down. Businesses started to close, some employees were told to work from home if they presented symptoms, and some woke up to find that they lost their jobs. Test kits were scarce but the panic still hasn't set in. Stores were still stocked with goods, restaurants were still open, and I went to a party. Maybe you'll see a couple of people here and there wearing masks, but that's about it. Pretty much everyone was either unable to get one or kept perpetuating the idea that they are largely ineffective. Over the next few days, the traffic on the I-5 became sparse and the office became relatively quiet. Four days into March, Amazon released an official statement for those who can remote should do so.

In mid-March, supermarkets started to run low on supplies as everyone bought copious amounts of toilet paper and non-perishables. Overnight, toilet paper became the symbol of power, wealth, and influence as a new post-apocalyptic society was propped up favoring the toilet-paper rich. Just kidding. Costco ultimately became the symbolism of mass hysteria and panic buying when customers started to demand refunds on their extra goods.

When it came to the virus, I think Tom Hanks contracting it and the NBA suspending its entire season struck a chord with most Americans. It was no laughing matter at this point. Walking through the streets of Seattle suddenly felt unnatural. There was no honking at rush hour, no tourists at Pike Place Market, and no customers at shops and restaurants.

When it came to grocery shopping, one of the hardest hit were businesses of the Asian community. While there were long lines at Costco, Target, and QFC, Asian grocery stores such as Uwajimaya and Hmart saw steady to even sometimes fewer customers. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was great not having to wait in long lines just to check out a couple of items. But it does raise the question of how long these businesses can sustain themselves with no line.

some positives.

As spread continued to worsen in other parts of the country, there was at least some hope at the original epicenter. The overall number of people contracting and dying from COVID-19 began to slow down, with death rates going from doubling every 3 days to doubling every 13 days at the time of me writing this. It still isn't great, but it is comforting to see that progress is being made. This doesn't mean that it is completely safe, but comforting knowing that we may no longer be confined indoors.

Summers are truly a blessing in Seattle and it's just around the corner. Seattle only gets 152 sunny days per year versus the US average of 205 days and you will be way better off heading out whenever you can. Just imagine this: little to no thunderstorms, constantly sunny, daily highs in the 70s (and no hotter), bearable humidity, and darkness setting in at 10 pm. This lasts for about maybe until October and then it's back to shitty weather. I seriously cannot wait to head out to explore.

Stay indoors and wash your hands.