The New Normal

I knew everything would have to go back to normal at some point but as vaccinations only just about to start for under 30s as well as news of the arrival of the Delta variant, honestly, I was nervous to start this fellowship.

For some context, you should know that:

1. I spent the whole of my third year online - the only people I interacted with, were my three housemates.

2. My schedule was super packed - I really didn't have time, no scratch that, I felt bad to go out (wherever permitted) when I had so much work piling on my desk.

3. I am the eldest child (female, at that) of an Asian household - my parents repeatedly reminded me not to go out. Heck, even after I told my mum all meetings were held online, she still freaked out when I said things like, "I met up with my project partner the other day".

4. London was under lockdown on and off throughout the year anyway - I was not risking myself of being fined or arrested and there was really nowhere to go besides parks (at some point some non-essential shops were able to operate again but I wasn't much of a shopper, so...).

5. I actually quite enjoyed staying home, to be honest.

Of course, there was one exception - for Eid (Muslim festival following the one-month fast) this year, I convinced myself it was okay to meet some friends (in groups not more than 6) outdoors, as: 1) I deserved a reward after finishing the horrendous Condensed Matter Physics exam the day before, 2) I hadn't gone out in a really long time and 3) I never had a proper Eid the last two years (both were during my exams). Hence, I went out. It was like any other Eid, really - dressed up to eat Malaysian Eid food (Yum!) + take pictures in the morning and by early afternoon, was already in a kaftan (traditional batik-styled dress commonly worn as a nightgown) flat on the bed.

My nerves eased a bit after I received my first dose of vaccination just under a week after Eid. I had agreed with James to start the fellowship on 21st June so I could finish on 8th August, after which I would go back to Kuala Lumpur. While I had hoped to get my vaccinations done before then, I never actually thought I'd receive a notification from my GP that soon - it was purely wishful thinking for me, to be honest. Apparently there were extra capacities at one of the facilities, so King's NHS sent out texts to random people with links for them to book their first jab. After almost missing the opportunity due to my pickiness of the time slot, eventually I got myself booked in.

Just 1/2 of the vaccine already gave me slight reassurance that I could go on campus for the fellowship - I just needed to take extra precaution. Upon completing our exams, my housemate and I each collected a free box of COVID-19 Self Test (Rapid Antigen Test) from our local pharmacy. Considering I'd be going to campus very often, I figured it would be a good idea to test myself regularly to ensure my safety and that of my housemates'. I started testing immediately (once a week) just to get the hang of it. The box comes with an instructions manual on how to test yourself, dispose of the items and report the test results. I didn't (still don't) trust myself to swab my own throat, so thankfully I had (still have) my housemate to do it for me (she studies Immunology so it's kind of her thing).

Even though masks were only compulsory on public transport and some premises (restaurants, museums, shops etc), I still wore it even as I was walking on the street or in the park (however, I do take them off for pictures, as you can guess from the picture above). Crowded places were (still is) a no-no for me - I would divert my route the moment I spot a crowd. Oh, and I also carried (still do) my hand sanitiser everywhere I went and regularly sanitised my hands as I entered and left a premise. With these precautions in place, I was able to enjoy about 3 weeks of unwinding and gallivanting before I started my fellowship.

In my first week back at King's, I was very impressed and pleased with all the covid-19 measures in place. First of all, as you enter the Strand building, there is a small sink on the left, for you to wash your hands - you don't even have to touch anything as it operates by a foot pedal. When before, students needed only show their Student ID card, now, every person that enters the building must obtain a sticker from the reception desk as this allows them to keep track of the number of people in the building. There are numerous stickers on the floor and the walls reminding people to: maintain a 2m distance, wear a face mask, limit to 2 people per elevator and use the stairs when they can. In fact, there is also reminder for people who are feeling unwell, to go home.

They take social distancing very seriously, too. In the elevator for example, they placed sticker guides as to where the 2 people should stand. Even in the bathrooms and the canteen, there stickers for which compartments/spaces you can and cannot use. Where before we had two canteens on Strand (Chapters at King's Building and King's Kitchen at Bush House), now only King's Kitchen is open. To minimise contact, now you just have to give them your order, get your number stand, pay by card, take a seat and the staff will bring your food to you. At Bush House, you could also collect King's PCR test kits in front of reception. This type of PCR test is aimed at people who do not have symptoms by processing their saliva sample - my supervisor uses these. I've collected two of those kits a few weeks ago, but truth be told, I've never used them. There's nothing wrong with them, obviously - I just prefer the NHS self-antigen tests as I can carry them out at home and get the results in just 30 minutes. With KCL's tests, I'd have to return my saliva sample at Bush House and wait for them to process it. They're both valid, and I appreciate the fact that they are so accessible

The best part however, are the automatic hand sanitiser dispensers stationed in front of every elevator and floor/room entrance. As a child, I took hand sanitisers for granted - competing with my friends on whose hand sanitiser smelled the best and choosing all the fancy, vibrant coloured ones, it really seemed like more of an accessory, to be honest. Here, and particularly during the start of the pandemic, I realised how expensive they are (well to be fair, everything is more expensive in London, but still). While I always carry mine with me every day, I rarely pass up an opportunity to place my palm under the dispenser - they're free!

In the physics department, I was given a desk of a PhD student who had left London, to do my work. As someone who prays five times a day, I asked the post doc assigned to guide me in my project, if I could leave my prayer items at the desk. In response, he provided me with a set of drawers underneath the desk for safety reasons. I made full use of the drawer - it was raining a lot that first week, so I left my rain jacket as well. I also decided to buy a packet of antibacterial cleansing surface wipes and kept them in the drawer so I could occasionally wipe the desk etc. With regards to my praying, I was delighted to know that an automatic hand sanitiser dispenser was also provided inside the women's praying room. And similarly to what's been done in the Cambridge Central Mosque, King's has also specified praying spots which are further apart from one another.

Despite the occasional tediousness, I am very grateful for these measures as with them, I feel more assured about being on campus daily - I get to carry out my project and learn new things whilst doing my best to protect myself and the people around me.

P/S: By the end of my first week of the fellowship, I was invited to get my second dose of vaccine, so that was another pleasant surprise.

(This post was first written before 19th July - the date whereby most restrictions have been lifted across the UK - but finally completed and published after 19th July. By the publishing date, all aforementioned restrictions at King's still remain.)