That little dot to the left of the building, there in the sky—that’s a drone monitoring our neighborhood.

April 6th
A Few Highlights of Shanghai Lockdown ‘22:

~Thanks to all my Chinese neighbors for showing me outside activities are still possible—after dark, within our large complex. But I feel for the runners and other folks downtown who are literally confined within their buildings, if not inside apartments day after day.

~ Not all water orders are created equal: First order on April 1st arrived this afternoon. Second order from last night as back up arrived this afternoon. Third order this afternoon,unbeknownst to me, as insurance policy arrived within 4 hours.

~The main gate we have been blocked from using for 13 days now has become a crucial grocery and water drop off/pick up point. They just installed new shelving today. We are all dependent on this spot and going there to pick up the rare specialty food or favorite snack item is like peeking under the tree on Christmas morn.

~Folks have really banded together in WeChat groups and sub-groups to purchase groceries as a collective and look out for one another.

Fascinating to return also to a bartering culture and to sometimes purchase a bag of food from a neighbor you don’t know for just “whatever you’d like to give.”

The other night Serena said hello to an unfamiliar neighbor as he came home from the main gate with some veggies. She asked where he bought them. He gave her two big eggplants and some green peppers.

The next morning the government delivered some pig flesh here (“pork”) and we returned the favor by giving it to that kindly man’s family.