Today my presentation in Heidelberg was cancelled. It’s nothing surprising, I was just waiting for it so I would be able to plan something else (perhaps). Everyone is having something cancelled. Musicians are trying to get aid from government. Hard time is coming.
It’s the first Monday after we stopped lesson in university. The plan for online course is still not there. I feel like I should still wait a bit to continue some of my works, because they may be cancelled or postponed at any point.
My department meeting and small colloquium are switched to online meeting. There is a rehearsal scheduled tomorrow but I’m not sure whether I still have to be there.
I’m trying to plan something for daily life in about a month. It’s still not the official quarantine time, but a lot of things are closed, perhaps more things could be closed soon as well. I wrote to the clinic to ask for mailing the receipt, made an order on Amazon Fresh (which will be delivered next week), checked the post I must send.
17.03.2020
I received phone call from the director, my scheduled rehearsal will be moved to the next day. It will also be their last day of rehearsal. Premier is officially postponed because all theater will shut down for unlimited time. They insisted to rehearse till now maybe due to the rehearsal room and the performers’ contract. I heard they’re “rehearsing with distance”, trying to separate four performers in four corners of the room, it’s almost funny but not really.
Two of my friends want to meet me tomorrow for exchanging some goods. We may not meet each other for very long time. But the time online colloquium was changed and I have to go to the rehearsal, seems tomorrow will be a compacted day. I’ve never expected there would still be appointments conflicting on each other in this time.
The same time I started to know what to create with people online. I spent a lot of time with Thies to exchange the idea, mainly about the way to present things. And finally it comes: #pajamaopera After we finished all the conceptualization, there is only a bit more than one day to collect submissions and present it (scheduled at the next night). Will I get something? Do I have time to practice? Tomorrow is even busier now.
Some people from China and other Asian countries are thinking of going back to their home countries. There were also friends asked me whether I’d go back. I think pandemic has it’s law of nature, and in a global time, every place will have to go through it. With more information and better facility, there could be less loss. But approximately we have to go through the same thing. I don’t want to flea from here to there to only enjoy the easier parts of it. I sometimes feel bad that I didn’t help with the situation in China, so if there is a chance I hope I could overcome the difficulty together with people here. Besides, flight is dangerous and very expensive now. I don’t think it worth the risk.
Dong Zhou 