Beijing Bunker: "If I Can Help in Any Way, I Will"

As Beijing enters its second week in self-quarantine, the stories of how people have been dealing with the coronavirus outbreak – by staying, leaving, or watching on from afar – are many and varied. In Beijing Bunker, we quiz Beijingers on what approach they've been taking to stay safe and sane in this time of war.

Zach Bomberger is a 25-year-old American who’s been living in Beijing for almost two years. Originally drawn to China for the opportunities it offered him to experience a new culture and way of life, he quickly found his groove and has settled into life and balances his work as an English teacher while also producing content for YouTube and Douyin. Here he tells us how he's kept himself busy in Beijing over the past two weeks of quarantine.

Would you consider yourself safe, sane, safe and sane, or other? Why?
I am as safe as I can be, and trying to stay sane through this kind of situation just like others. In the beginning, my anxiety levels started to rise due to all of the information. In addition, because I consider myself a relatively curious person, I become focused on gathering confirmed information for other expats and Chinese so we could be informed, especially as the government started taking more serious measures to contain the virus. 

Now that it’s been almost a month since CNY near started, I am much calmer and informed. I don’t think panicking or always being on edge does me or anyone much good. Along with taking care of myself, I also want to be a source of voluntary assistance for others. This includes my dear friends, other expats, Chinese, colleagues, and strangers who all just want to put this matter behind them. In times of emergency and disaster, it is important to aid others and support each other. 

Has the virus disrupted your travel plans or those of your loved ones?
I went to one of my best friend’s hometown in Hebei province and was planning to stay for two to three days to visit his family again, and see him and all our mutual friends. I did get to do that the first two days, but then decided it was better to be safe than sorry, and came back to Beijing. It extremely disheartening because I really wished I could have stayed longer, but I wanted to be ahead of whatever next decision was going to be made by local or national authorities.

How have you been spending your time since the outbreak? How has your life changed on account of the situation?
Besides going outside to buy groceries or taking a short stroll, I usually spend my time at home teaching classes online via my iPad, listening to music, making videos for my vlog, cooking, reading, studying Chinese, exercising, and anything that is interesting and can keep me entertained.

Has the situation affected your work or business? If so, how?
Because the school I work for is quite large, we also offer online classes. So I have become an online teacher for the foreseeable future. I enjoy teaching online from home. In many ways, I am able to prepare and teach better through online applications like WeChat, Zoom, and similar platforms that are able to reach more students and make attending a class easier. 

Have there been any unexpected upsides?

1. I have started to cook more at home, and this pushes me to not order delivery;
2. I am exercising every morning, and;
3. It’s given me the time and chances to reconnect with family and friends who I haven’t spoken to in a while.

Which resources (online or real-life) have proved the most useful to you during this time?

• Today’s Headlines (今日头条)
• China Daily
• Fact Proving-Myth-Busting Platform by Tencent (腾讯新闻较真平台)
• Live-Data from JobTube on WeChat
• Live-Data and Tips from Dr. Dingxiang (丁香医生)
• Verified information sent to me by friends and different groups I am in.

What's one thing that you've done that has saved you a lot of hassle/time/insanity? 
I have decided to let things be and let the situation develop. If I can help in any way, I will. Just a friendly reminder to all: your personal health is important to take care of. 

What do you most look forward to doing once all of this has blown over?
I want to go outside and take a long nice walk without wearing a mask. 

READ: Beijing Bunker: Cheers' Claudia Masüger on Making the Best of a Crappy Situation

Image courtesy of Zach Bomberger