Coronavirus: Singapore millennials bond over food on Instagram during stay-home notices in hotels
- As lockdowns worldwide drive Singaporeans home, the city state is housing returnees at hotels to serve a mandatory 14-day stay-home notice
- No returnee is allowed contact with anyone, so young Singaporeans have been taking to social media to connect with one other over the national pastime – food
When Singaporean Denvy Lo, 38, learned she would have to serve a stay-home notice for 14 days after returning from San Francisco, she was filled with dread.
The recruiter has claustrophobia, a condition which can trigger anxiety or panic attacks when she is in an enclosed area, and she was worried about having to stay in an unfamiliar place which was not first carefully selected by her.
“As someone with claustrophobia, whenever I travel … I tend to pick hotels that don’t have closed windows or opt for a seat with more space when flying,” said Lo, who arrived back on March 27 as part of the first batch Singaporean returnees. “But this was something I couldn’t control because of the Covid-19 situation.”
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But Lo relaxed when she was housed in a hotel room with large windows after she made her condition known, and began logging her experience on Instagram to ease the worries of her loved ones.
“I started using social media, partly to kill time, but also for my friends and family who were very worried,” said Lo, who is staying at the Grand Park Hotel. “Because I am among the first batch of people who has to serve their quarantine order in a hotel, they were especially worried for me.”
Individuals serving stay-home notices are not allowed to leave their place of residence, even to buy food and essentials, and are to check their temperatures twice a day, among other rules. Those who do not comply with the terms risk a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,000) and/or face six months in jail.
The period would see the government picking up the tab for hotel stays, transport and meals. The authorities said last week there were 38,000 people serving out stay-home notices, and their numbers would rise as more people, especially students, returned from abroad.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said earlier that some 200,000 Singaporeans were currently abroad and expected to return, with about 1,200 Singaporeans coming back daily.
To overcome the social isolation, some returnees have taken to social media to connect with each other remotely and document their experiences, with Instagram pages such as SHN.makan and RatemySHN created for the Singaporeans to bond over the national pastime – food.
Dylan Goh, 26, was among those who contributed to the RatemySHN Instagram account, which posted his photo of an “applaudable” biryani meal he had at the Village Hotel Sentosa on April 1.
“The crispy okra was actually crispy, and the butter chicken reminded me a little bit of the Indian takeaways from the UK,” Goh said in the accompanying caption.
But he found the meat a tad disappointing. “The garlic fish was a slight letdown, with scant taste of garlic, with the texture of fried frozen fish fillets. Dessert of galub jamun was cloyingly sweet, but much appreciated. Overall would eat again 7.5/10,” he said.
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“Culturally, as a Singaporean, I connect with others over food,” Goh said. “It’s not really a contest of who has the best or worst meal, but almost a conversation starter of sorts. With other friends in other hotels, you get a glimpse of what it’s like elsewhere.”
Tan Yu Nuo, 25, a returnee from London, is also sharing her experience on Instagram, where she has 3,800 followers.
In a video broadcast from the Conrad Hotel, she shared some scenes such as encounters with hotel staff, the rules she has to abide by over the two weeks, and the food she was enjoying.
“It’s only been one-and-a-half days, but it’s been amazing so far,” Tan said on Thursday. “The food is really good. I was given a menu of three choices for lunch and dinner to pick from on the first day I arrived, and there was just a wide variety of different food.”
Tan said her social media posts have made some of her overseas-based Singaporean friends feel less anxious about returning to serve their stay-home notices. “Since I posted the video, I’ve had friends living overseas who are now more keen to come back to Singapore, and a lot of Singaporeans are showing their appreciation for the government more.”
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With the city state’s borders shut during the pandemic, experts say the use of hotels to house returnees is a boost to the industry.
“Given the current strict border controls, there are zero tourists coming into Singapore. As a result, the hotels have only the domestic market to draw from,” said Sheryl E. Kimes, emeritus professor of operations management from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
“Singapore, like Hong Kong, is such a small country that there’s not much in the way of local tourism other than perhaps some staycations,” she said.
Kimes, who is also a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore’s analytics and operations department, added that the move provided hotels with a much-needed revenue source to offset some wage costs, which could result in fewer lay-offs.
“It is our commitment to protect the interests of our stakeholders while doing our part in safeguarding Singapore’s public health protocol,” said Kwee Wei-Lin, the president of SHA.
“Being hoteliers, it is in our nature to be natural hosts and extend genuine care like a family,” she said. “The guests can serve their 14-day notice in total comfort with peace of mind while being compliant with public health measures.”
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