Went to Bread Talk, a bakery, to buy some product and a staff guy was taking the temperatures of other staffers. So ... I paid my bill and had MY temperature taken … Good news … 36.5 … not dead yesterday. Outside the pharmacy and the Thai Huot grocery store there were tables with sanitizer and guys to take your temperature before you enter. Eerie dystopian world. I bought a box of 50 masks (disposable/single use/one-a-day) in late January for $8.50. Last week I bought another box (different brand, similar quality) and paid $19.50. My investments have tanked – retirement postponed for another three years. Feel like a worm squirming on a dollar hook. ‘Course I could die as I’m in a higher risk age group and that solves that … so bought Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) on the TSX as it now pays a 5% dividend, better than the money market. RBC survived 2008 and 2009 without cutting its dividend ... so it’s reasonably safe (I hope) and 20% off its high is a good pick up. For the next A Canadian teacher at Canadian International School (CIS) tested positive and over the weekend the government closed K-12 schools including CIS in Phnom Penh. Canadian went to Thailand. Took his children. Who travels these days? Three Brits from Saigon cruising north on the Mekong tested positive and are in hospital about 100kms north from here. Travel bans on US, Germany, Italy, France, Iran and Spain. Schools are still closed in Siem Reap. Universities and colleges are operational. I continue to work. So … good to hear from you and you’re well and life goes on where you are. Me? Borders are closed with Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, and flights out are restricted, so even if I wanted to exit, I don’t have many options. And airports and planes are corona labs. Here for the duration. No longer a choice … although Vanessa considered busing to Saigon and trying to catch a fishing boat to anywhere. several months ... oof … who really knows? Oh … and the NHL hockey season is on pause. I’ve felt safe since the beginning when we had the one case in January and another in February, but we’ve had a recent spike in Phnom Penh and around and I worry more. As of today, 114-plus cases, no deaths, and more than 40% have recovered. Half the cases are foreigners. Shopping is close by and I’ve
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