The world is a gazelle, the pandemic a cheetah.
It's not quite an experience, but a thought process that occurred during one of those nights when you just have so many things and nothing going on simultaneously.
Once, I thought it would be great to have the world stop for a minute. Everything was happening too fast. It could well be the side effect of growing older that makes time run like a cheetah catching up to a gazelle, where you're the gazelle but time isn't the cheetah. The thing is, time was never too fast or too slow; it's us.
It's a virus that's the cheetah instead, while time is the sun. Here, the gazelle is too slow to evade the cheetah that's too fast. Strangely morbid analogy, but it's kept me sane during my social distancing. I sometimes stare up at the sun while it stretches day and night into one long timeline. It's always been there, just hidden when it has to be, but I know it's there. Watching, a big eye in the sky.
If the whole world is a gazelle, the pandemic a cheetah, then I'm a mere tree frog. So small yet focused on the race. I don't like the sun, but it lends me its light so I could maintain my distance. Strange analogy for myself, but I have a need to survive. While the world runs for its life, I stay on my tree branch, hoping life will catch me before I fall.
Felicia, 19, Kuala Lumpur
How are you dealing with quarantine?
WHAT’S IT LIKE WHERE YOU ARE? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
RUMIT is putting together a digital scrapbook depicting the experiences of Malaysians throughout the MCO period, and what they’ve been doing to cope with self-isolation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have a story to share, let us know and you could be featured as part of #KeranaCorona.
Submissions have been lightly edited for formatting and grammar.
For COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, resources and information on symptoms and risks, visit the Malaysian Ministry of Health portal or the WHO website. Follow @NewsBFM for the latest developments.
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