Those Pre-Pandemic Days

[Jack D]

Watching this scene from 12 Monkeys reminds me about how I wished that the world was just like it used to be before the Pandemic. Am I the only one who longs for the past?

 

[Tommy T.]

23 minutes ago, Jack D said:

Am I the only one who longs for the past?

Nope...not at all.

However, as somebody posted a while ago in another topic, I enjoy less traffic here when driving, the malls are much less crowded too. The real advent of Food Panda and similar services has proven to us to be convenient and a great alternative to going out to a restaurant. We ordered S & R pizza on Sunday at lunchtime. It arrived here in about 25 minutes and was still quite hot. (Aside: it was also the best one we have had for a long time - evenly distributed toppings, lots of cheese and sauce with a great crust).

However, services are another story... Long lines outside to wait in the heat when going to pay some bills, buy meds, even to enter the malls. And I am already really tired of all the checks - handwash, temp check, fill out my life history and contact details on a form, more alcohol hand wash - but NO Tanduay! I hate masks but wear one always when outside. And I loathe the face shields! Wear mine when necessary, but just don't go out so much.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Tommy T.

[GeoffH]

14 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Nope...not at all.

However, as somebody posted a while ago in another topic, I enjoy less traffic here when driving, the malls are much less crowded too.

 

Yes me three...

The downsides do outweigh the few upsides but as Tommy T. rightly points out there is a few 'every cloud has a silver lining' moments mixed in with all the crap.

[scott h]

27 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

I enjoy less traffic here when driving, the malls are much less crowded too.

 hear, hear, and no crowds or kids in restaurants.

30 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

but NO Tanduay! 

I don't drink, but if they open up the casinos and the local resorts so we can resume our periodic staycations I can put up with the masks and shields.

[hk blues]

Sadly, I'm guessing things will not go back to how they were no matter what - it's already been a long time and people have probably adapted their lives accordingly.  And that's ignoring the financial problems that will hit the developed countries when all the support finishes. 

Still, what to do?

[GeoffH]

5 hours ago, hk blues said:

And that's ignoring the financial problems that will hit the developed countries when all the support finishes. 

 

[GeoffH]

One financial cost that is going to hit a lot of us expats is the cost of air travel.  Several airlines have already stated that the days of very cheap long distance travel aren't coming back any time soon.  We might still be able to get reasonably cheap throw away tickets but long distance travel is going to be substantially more expensive in the medium term. 

From my perspective I've been looking at travel costs between Bendigo and Manila and there are definitely changes.

All regional commuter flights out of Bendigo to Sydney airport have been stopped.

There are no flights from Melbourne Airport to Manila Airport.

So that means a bus trip to Melbourne, then a flight from Melbourne to Sydney then Sydney to Manila (which adds several hundred dollars).

And the cheapest flights between Sydney and Manila at the moment are $1600 AUD one way economy ($2700 premium economy and $5200 business).

Before Covid I could buy returns flights from Melbourne to Cagayan De Oro via Manila for $1200 on Philippine Airlines or around $900 on Cebu Pacific economy (from memory premium economy was around $2500 return and business about $4500 return depending upon carrier).  So whilst Premium Economy and Business are roughly twice as expensive compared to pre Covid economy is about three times as expensive.  And that's on top of all the stories (which I believe) about carriers prioritizing higher classes of tickets making it harder to actually buy an economy ticket.

It certainly would make living 6 months in the Philippines and 6 months in Australia much more expensive than it has been in the past.

Edited August 25, 2020 by GeoffH

[Jollygoodfellow]

2 hours ago, GeoffH said:

It certainly would make living 6 months in the Philippines and 6 months in Australia much more expensive than it has been in the past.

Solution

Stay for awhile 

 

[graham59]

On balance, I'm better off being stuck here in the Phils, rather than back in the U.K.

Rarely venture away from my front gate now.  Not too bothered about that (while the Mrs goes out to do the shopping and pay the bills).

I do miss going to the beach though...and simply getting on a bus.