Time passed by, and now it's been a year of pandemic Covid-19. None of us expect that we gonna live in this unprecedented time. This is my personal note when I look back. What was happening, the change, and the impact—a year of the pandemic through my lens : 

ONE YEAR RECAP

The beginning

In January, we heard about the first Coronavirus in Wuhan, China. I thought it's gonna be like SARS's case that happens a couple of years ago. I still live in Indonesia at that time, and we are living just like usual. Never thought that it would be a pandemic that affecting the whole globe. No nations escape from this virus.

In early March, the virus case reaches to Netherland. Nothing affecting our daily life; Just one case, so life still goes on like normal - no restrictions yet. But we start to avoid the handshake. We changed handshake into fish bump - shoes bump to each other.

Only within days after the Carnaval in Brabant, the virus spread so fast. Hundreds of cases were recorded. Suddenly the whole area of Brabant becomes a red zone. It's getting serious.

On 16 March, Prime Minister Mark Rutte addressing the nation. Forcing the government in mid-March 2020 abruptly make the first serious restrictions - partial lockdown because it's not as strict as lockdown in China or Italy. The Netherland has a different approach because it tries to find a way between health safety and not to bring further damage to the economy. Every country has its own policy based on culture, lifestyle, political trust, and economy. There was no one size to fit all the answers.

We already heard the stories of lockdown in China, but experiencing by yourself is a different story. Still, it is a restriction, forcing us to change our daily routine. It is a pandemic that happens once per hundred years—a difficult period of the unknown. We are living in the different seasons of life. We know little about this virus.

The Dutch way 

By the time the Prime Minister announced lockdown, people were quickly hampering food and toilet tissue. It seems ridiculous to see in the news that people are 'fighting' to buy toilet tissue in Australia. Yet it also happened in here. I never saw a supermarket with so many empty racks. We didn't know when they will able to refill it again. The government said we have more than enough as long as people didn't buy in a rush. Of course, the distribution, logistics, and shipping were disrupted.

The government shutting down people's gatherings. Launch a campaign "Stay at home." Announcing the new way of living 1,5m social distancing. No more handshaking, hugging, or three kisses when we met people. We need to wash your hand frequently. Telling people to stay at home and not to go out unless it is necessary. The street and public transportation become empty—no more traffic and people on the road.

Mask is not mandatory at that time.

Forcing store, hairdresser, school, office, gym, and restaurant to close down. The event, theater, the museum was canceled. Offices instructed the workers to work from home. The only things that are allowed to open are the essential store and vital business, like, caregiver, hospitals (nurse, doctor), police, media, supermarkets, etc.

Frontliner

When most people were told to stay at home, some need to be on the frontline. The nurse and the doctor in the hospital are fighting the virus in a face-to-face battle. People with a vital job need to put their life at risk to meet up with others. The more you meet up with people, the more chance getting contamination by the virus. At this moment is not about just a job, but how to serve your community during hard times.

Frankly, mostly my big family here in the Netherlands works as a frontliner. They work in the supermarket and food industry. That's one of the essential shops that allowed to be open during the hard lockdown. Without them, the community will collapse. People still need to buy their groceries and daily need. It means some people need to serve the customer. Not everything you can buy online.

Remember that were not mandatory to use a mask in public yet in the Netherland at that time. So, despite the mask, the company uses glass plastic as a shield to protect the workers from the customers and otherwise.

The media workers need to go out to the street and reporting the life situation. So, we know how it looks like in the outside world.

That's why the frontliner has priority for childcare. While other parents need to juggle between work from home with children.

The Silent Killer

The worse part is not the virus itself. There was another silent 'killer' within this pandemic because we cannot gather or minimize interactions with other humans (family, friends, colleagues, etc.). People become struggling with mental health, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Technology helps us to connect worldwide, but it also makes people isolated and feel lonely.

Humans are social beings, yet we need to adapt to the new way of interactions. People need a community to survive. 

The big business impact

There were two sides to the business world. One is crumbling down because of the pandemic, and the other side soaring up. It depends on what kind of industry you are in. Tourism, travel, event, F&B was hit so badly.  

Restaurants and pubs have to close their dine-in area. Fortunately, delivery and takeaway food are still allowed. For the food and beverage industry, this is turbulence. A lot of business owners fear how long they could survive? Because lockdown means they lost a huge income. At the same time, they need to pay the bill, cost, and employee. Some workers were asked to voluntarily resign or have a pay cut. Some others need to stay at home until further notice because they have nothing to do. 

The tourism industry was hit so hard—especially for Amsterdam and other tourist areas. Many people depend on their primary income from tourism. It means a lot of people losing their job, and business owners struggle to pay the rent. 

People have to cancel their vacation, business trip, and traveling plan because of the travel ban. Scheveningen closed the border. Only people with particular visa or wants to go back to their land are allowed. It means no flight can fly as much as usual. Schipol airport is generally packed with 5,6 million people, but it becomes almost empty at the beginning of the restrictions. Airplanes' business tremble. Passenger flight turned to cargo flight. Without support from the government, they indeed collapse.

Well, some people are still 'naughty' and somehow still have the guts to go on vacation by car or by flight to European destinations that don't have a travel ban (yet). 

The rising spectrum

Not every industry was hit. The other rising spectrum is e-commerce, grocery, home-interior, streaming video, medical, etc. Customer behavior changed drastically from offline shopping goes to online shopping. Older people are in the struggle because they are not used to the online shopping experience. Because people cannot have dined outside anymore, so they have to find a way to cook at home. Netflix gains millions of new subscriptions because no more theater and people binge movie at home. People tend to spend more to upgrade their houses because they cannot go on holiday and spend more time at home. 

The stock market crashed, some people panic and shock, but it's a good time to invest in stocks. A year later, we see that the stocks are rebound higher than before.

The Online World

Indeed, this is a great disturbance - a crazy chaotic time. No one is really prepared for a sudden global change. Businesses and organizations have to find a way in a short time. Forcing people to adapt their behavior in the online world. A traditional - offline store is not allowed to open during the hard lockdown - only an essential store is open with a customer limitation. 

If your company still in a conventional way, it means you are in trouble. No one could not build the online system only in one night. 

Even though you already have an online or cloud system, it doesn't mean you don't have any trouble. Many things need an adjustment—the way we do business, the consumer's behavior shifts drastically. 

Not just the customer behavior, the working behavior also changed! Employees need to work from home. Kids also learn digitally. We are living in an era of "connected virtually" - almost all online.

The support

The Netherland government quickly protects their people's finance & economy by helping certain companies that struggle and the people who are losing their job. Of course, there are criteria for a particular company/people and only last for a couple of months. Billions of Euro were given to help people keep able to float their business and life. 

This is the benefit of living in the Netherland. In my home country - Indonesia, people need to be survived on their own. If you lose your job or your company goes south because of the pandemic, the government will not cover your loss.  

Hermawan Kertajaya said, "There was an opportunity in the crisis." So, no matter what side of you, we are in the same storm but sailing in a different boat. Some got hit in finance, some in health, some in mental, and so on. Even though it's a hard time, there was always hope, and people would find a new way. We have a remarkable ability to adapt and survive. This is not the first time a crisis beat the world. From history, we learn that this all shall pass. 

The silver lining

The silver lining of all of this was the earth feels able to breathe the fresh air again, free from the pollutions and noise. The world finally could take a rest for a moment. The sky and the water become so clear. The phenomenon happens in so many places. 

I never saw in Amsterdam - Damrak's area - the tourism area was so empty. It's like a dead city. There was no more crowd, no more people lining up for fries and the smell of the weed. Only a view local people are on the street. One of them is us, strolling with my camera while we are on the way to take away our favorite Chinese food. 

We are still allowed to go outside our house without any permit - not strictly forbidden like in Italy or Spain. We have plenty of outdoor space and parks for people to walk at a safe distance. Especially if you live in the suburbs area, you don't need to worry. You could still do your 'normal' walk activity, or you can go to the playground with your kids—this 'privilege' helps people ease anxiety. It doesn't feel like being locked up. I cannot imagine if we have to stay at home for days and not go outside at all. It would drive me crazy. 

The church was also affected by this pandemic—no more normal Sunday service for the church. Everything goes online. Max 30 people are allowed to prepare an online event. It means only specific volunteers that allowed to serve during the week. No congregations. This also means we could watch another church service from across the world. There were no more distance boundaries or buildings as limitations. Personally, I have a benefit - a blessing in disguise because of the pandemic. I can reconnect my "DATE Westmark" - my support community, connect group from my home away church. 

This is the beginning of the new way of life, "the social distancing" and "the online" life—one year of disturbance in health (mental and physical), economy, lifestyle, and leadership. We live in the new 'normal.'

Summer Lift Up

During the summer, the restrictions were lifted by precautions. Store and restaurant dine-in is open again with limited customers. Depend on how many square meters of the store. Still no mask mandatory, only in public transportations. 

The hairdresser is allowed to open! Finally, we could cut our hair properly and professionally. It feels so good after months of long hair and no model.

We could go to the church again! But my church is not in the building but in the park - only in summer! So, we have nice weather and plenty of distance for people able to gather in safety measurement. People bring their own chair or picnic rug and umbrella (to cover your head from the burning sunny heat). It feels so good to be able to worship together. But, when the weather gets colder, we cannot gather outside anymore.

Beach full of people enjoying the warmth of the sun - including us. The park was full of people lying down in the grass. People walk in the nature park. It may look crowded, but people tend to watch their distance. The police also play a significant role in closing down the park/beach when it is overcrowded. 

In other words, most Dutch people are disciplined and take their own responsibility. I said most, but of course, not everyone. In every country, there always be some rebellion in the community that doesn't care. They didn't believe in the virus or how other people might get infected, or they just tired of being locked up for so long. They are the people who live recklessly, and sometimes they are using in the name of God.

The winter mask is coming.

After immensely 'enjoying' the summer, the number of cases soaring high again. A new threat, a dangerous mutation from the UK variant, was more contagious and quickly spread out. It makes the government need to level up the restrictions because it's harder to control the virus's spread.

Since 1 December 2020, the mask is mandatory in all public spaces. It seems like we are left behind with other countries’ rules about the mask, huh? You might be wondering why the Dutch take so long to take a mask as obligatory? That's why I said the Dutch government has its own way and approach to the pandemic. Every country has its own policy based on culture, lifestyle, political trust, and economy. There was no one size to fit all the answers. I think one of them is because we didn't live in a dense community. That's why the Dutch scientist suggests that with social distancing 1,5meter is enough. People also don't live with their big family members in one house. 

Not long after Germany announced the lockdown, the Dutch is following another lockdown. Preventing people from Christmas shopping and holiday. Since 15 December, store, school, hairdresser, are closed down again. Somehow this time feels harder than the first one, especially for the F&B business. 

Since 23 January, Netherland has night-time curfew until 9 PM. People who are still on the street without a permit would get a fine ticket of €95. There were several uncontrolled demonstrations, mostly from young people who don't like this curfew. They feel their freedom was taken. Actually, if you are working, you have a permit, so you didn't get any fine. 

The vaccine of hope

The good news is the vaccination is begun! Vaccines from several companies were authorized earlier than expectations. Hoping that this pandemic is over as fast as possible and life could go back to normal again. People start dreaming of traveling again, shopping again, eating in a restaurant, and gathering with friends and family. And the list goes on. 

The government makes a plan for the vaccines that in summer, most of the populations are vaccinated. In March, some restrictions are uplifts. Kids can go back to school. The store is open again, but you must make an appointment first, and you have a limited time to shop. Sadly, restaurants are still not allowed to dine in. 

A year later (March 2021)

The danger is not over yet. The vaccine plan is not as smooth as the government thinks. In fact, Europe short of vaccine shots. The third wave is coming in several countries in Europe. France, Italy, Germany announce their third lockdown. Will Netherland following others too? The number of cases is spiking again. 

People are not numbers.

The circle of people who are infected is getting smaller. Last year you may only hear about the virus. The number of infections, or how many die because of this. Now you may know friends or family that have been infected or losing people they love. 

When people just read the numbers, it doesn't affect much for them. It is just a number of statistics, nothing personal. But, when it comes to a person close to you, someone that you know, it becomes another level. Your emotions, loss, anxiety, the question in your head is real. When something personal happens, you will not take it easy or living recklessly. 

Let's support each other in the way you can do. When do you know someone who gets infected or losing their beloved, asked them what you can do to help? Reach out to each other. In this unprecedented time, we need each other more than before. We a healthy community to support us. 

The storm is not over yet. But, if you read this article means until now you survive. Look how far you have been through. So, hang on! Don't lose hope. Don't let down your guard. We still need to be diligent in how we interact with each other and protect our beloved. Get vaccine. Don't take life for granted. 

Life is worth fighting for. You have hope.