Although the first two lockdowns weren’t too bad for me as an introvert, the third lockdown definitely started to play a toll on my mental health.
With everything happening to our Asian community around the world, as much as I’d like to leave the house to get some fresh air, at the back of my mind I would always feel the fear within me. Never once have I walked in broad daylight and not looked back at the faces that may be behind me. I shared about how I truly feel about being an Asian in a Western country, you may read it here.
In case you thought that the fear only just started for me, I’ve felt this way since my uni days while living in Bournemouth. From cat-calling to racism encounters, I’ve experienced it all. If I really think about it, it started in high school but as young people would, we don’t want to entertain it and brush it off.
Below are my highlights for the month of March.
Applied for the University of Sussex and got in
Ever since I graduated BA Media Production from Bournemouth University, I was always looking for a masters course to study because I have always enjoyed studying. Since I am now working as a full-time marketing professional, I thought what degree would be better than to study international marketing so I can progress further in my career.
At first I applied to study at Arden University, however, the course was put on hold, maybe until October 2021 or even further away, they were uncertain. If I wanted to do something, I always wanted it to happen immediately and I wasn’t about to wait for things to happen when it wanted to happen. I started searching and applied to the University of Sussex to study International Marketing. I got in! I’ll be starting my studies again on 10th May 2021 when all SFE admins are sorted.
Work will be paying for half of my degree
To continue from the story above, I then broke the news to work and asked if it was okay with them if I studied while working, I was just asking for permission and to my surprise, they would like to support me in my studies by paying for half of it!
I cannot be more grateful for this opportunity. Not to mention I am still in my probation period while all of this happened, so I took it as I passed my probation.
I got my keloid removed
This one was a long time coming. I’ve noticed the keloid behind my ear since it was a very small bump and could have been helped by injecting steroid injections to avoid the growth, instead, NHS doctors told me to go back to the piercing shop and the piercing shop said to go to my doctor. So now that everyone is just passing on responsibilities on to each other, who do I go to for help?
Based on everything I have been reading, the doctor could have helped with a steroid injection so I have always been enquiring about this since I was in second year university. I never got to see a skin doctor until 2019 for a steroid injection once every 6 months. By the time I was seen for steroid injections, the size of my keloid was too large to be helped by just injections, it needed cosmetic surgery. With covid-19 hitting the world, skin clinics were closed so I had two injections and that was it.
I was tired and fed up with waiting so I finally decided to go private. I’ve tried my luck with the NHS, saw half a luck and then no luck.
On the day of my surgery, I was asked about what treatments I previously had and I told about the once every six month steroid injection given by the NHS, the doctor laughed and I could see why she was laughing because I felt the same about the NHS. She added that steroid injections are only effective for a month and not six. I laughed even more after that but glad that I took the leap and went private, even if that meant it was out of my pocket.
We re-homed Dumpling
If you follow me on Instagram, you would know this as I have been spamming pictures of Dumpling all day, every day. He’s been a delight to us. I wrote about how we went about rehoming Dumpling. In case you’d like some cat-goodness content, Dumpling has his own Instagram account.
We bought an insurance for Dumpling
Having had first hand experience with the NHS service, I don’t plan on flaking on my fur baby. We did have a long hard thought about this as some of my friends do not have their pets insured, which makes us wonder whether it was worth it. When it comes to health and safety, I am never the one to risk. Paying for £22 a month for lifetime insurance (with a chance of 40% increase each year) to having to pay £4000 to £7000+ when anything happens, £22 isn’t a bad price to pay monthly.
I’ve been playing Calico
Games have been my way of escapism during these weird times since we could not go anywhere. After watching several cosy YouTube videos on games that I should play and would most likely enjoy other than ACNH, Calico was one of the games on the list. I tried it and I wasn’t disappointed. Although the storyline is fixed and I had to do the activities that are requested by the villagers, I can slowly do it at my own pace and there is no competition.
Stepping away from the digital sphere for a while
Apart from work, I took time away from my phone and my computer to digest the news in the world at the moment. I am never going to accept the way we are being treated as an Asian. I am never going to accept the way our elderlies are being treated in the western countries. We came here with the hope to better ourselves, to be a part of what we thought was a better world and a better plan than where we came from only to be treated like a nothing and that we don’t belong even though we are standing on the land legally, paying all our bills and taxes correctly by law like any others.
