Behind the mask
Since the Sars outbreak I have stopped singing at clubs like Liquid and Drop. Most of them are now closed on weekdays. Because of Sars I don't want to sing in crowded closed areas anyway. It's very dangerous. I am considering singing at beach parties and on junk trips instead. When I have to do a recording I make sure I clean the microphone first.
But my tutoring business has tripled. It has been a long time since I worked full-time but since Sars I have been tutoring seven days a week. I am grateful for all the business Sars has brought me.
When the whole thing first began I fell sick for a week. I was so paranoid that I had Sars I didn't dare set foot outside for two weeks. I called my family doctor but he told me not to go to the clinic. He said I just had a normal cold and it was risky to see him because there were many sick people at the clinic. It wasn't until my friends dragged me out for a birthday party that I finally left the house. Even though I go out now, I try to avoid SoHo and Central.
I've started wearing masks less this week because the weather has been so hot. But I still make sure I have one on if I have to take the bus or MTR. ATM machines are the worst. If I think the machine is dirty I will wrap my finger in tissue paper before pressing the buttons. I know you can't really avoid catching Sars but I think people should try to be positive. My auntie who lives in Sha Tin has not left her house, except to buy food, for a month.
This whole thing has made me see how inconsiderate Hong Kong people can be. The other day I saw a bunch of teenagers smoking and spitting on the floor near the MTR exit. I wanted to slap them and tell them to lick the spit off the floor. I didn't end up yelling at them but I stared them down. I think they got the message.
