Everyone matters, the penultimate blog from Max (who finally tested Negative for COV 19)

Hello everyone this is my last day at my quarantine as per the government norms.

A person who tests Positive for COV19 in Bahrain has to stay in quarantine by himself for 10days minimum in a Government approved hotel ( Taj and Andulas).There is also a free mall at Sitra but here you will find so many people in coughing and standing in a queue for food. In my opinion by going to SITRA Mall you have more chance of getting COV19 

Therefore I choose to pay and stay in one of the paid hotels and I finally got a room in Andulas Palace hotel. The hotel rent is 30 bd a night for sharing and 45 bd a night for single occupancy. I only earn 200 bd a month, and my company deducted money while I was in Quarantine,  so my company shared half of the  Hotel cost. To save money I decided to stay in a sharing room and I was sharing with another person from India, a Chef , who had tested positive and came in on the same day as me.

You can read about the 10 days in Quarantine and the mental and physical impact in had on me in my earlier 3 blogs. This is written on my 10th day. It is almost over. I had my PCR test yesterday and have been checking every hour for my results on Bahrain's Be Aware App.

If my results is negative I will still have to stay 4more days in my company quarantine area. Then I can get back to work after that.

If I'm positive I have to quarantine myself in the company positive people quarantine area and have to do my PCR test again, and can only get out if my PCR test results comes negative

Regardless of the results I have to leave this place today which I spent my last 10 days in.

It was a very very strange experience for me. I am 24 years old and have been in Bahrain for 6 months but I have never experienced anything like this in my life.

It is weird because when I was a boy back in India I dreamed of this kind of life all the time. I always wanted to be alone, not being disturbed by anyone, with my mobile phone ,  high speed Wi-Fi , Netflix and TV and a good room and timely food!

Soon I realized after being here that's not what life is. Outside this hotel I had achieved everything I wanted.

Locked up in here I felt that over time I lost myself which made me more sick in my mind without being exploring the world.

Now I desperately want to go out and do something really good for myself.

I wish this COV 19 thing will be over soon so I can plan my remaining days in exploring the world. I want to try different kinds of food, travel, culture, meet different people , learn different languages, try new things. As I sit and wait for my test results I am so excited for that moment to come in my life.

I want to tank everyone who read my blogs, To Phil, Neil, Chester , Oliver and everyone else for the positive feedback which encouraged me to keep blogging and prevented me from going insane in my hotel room prison. Thanks also to all those who donated food, sweets, snacks, and other gifts and cards and the lovely cakes from Red Croissant bakery and the yummy Butter Chicken Curry.

I hope this blog will be useful to you and your friends. Please share it as it contains important messages.

Be safe. Remember how lucky you are to be in Bahrain . The condition back in my country is not safe, which for me and my fellow Indians is heart breaking. India has a huge population often confined in small spaces which makes things more difficult .

As I end my blogs and quarantine life ( and special thanks to the British Kabayan, my good friend for letting me take over his blog) I have a small but important message to everyone reading this:

Every person matters...

We are living through an unprecedented crisis,

And to solve it, we need the power of ONE,

Not someONE, not anyONE, We need the power of “everyONE”..

Staying Home, Staying Safe is now not just a matter of personal safety, it is our civic duty, it is what we need to do for humanity.

Every person that stays out of harm’s way, is a hero making space for someone in greater need.

Be a Hero. Mask Up. Double Mask Up.

Keep your hands clean and your conscience cleaner. Take care of yourself and your mental health and be kind

We can win this together, with the “Power of Everyone”

Max demonstrated his team spirit by leaving a gift for his new room mate at the Andulas Palace, a Bahraini guy

PS - a few hours later his test came through

Bad news eh. So he is now back to his company quarantine room and moaning its not as nice as the hotel! I think he is making a speedy recovery. Welcome to the real world!

          Max's new walking area outside the quarantine room at his workplace

The next day he was more cheerful having had some Indian food and having been given a hall to exercise in. He is also allowed  to exercise outside. His new room mate, an Indian, who also tested positive , however, insists they keep the room chilled and that Max wears his masks at all times, even when he was asleep. So whilst Max is no longer mad from being alone he is learning negotiation skills and the art of diplomacy! He sends his apologies for not wring this bit but he is busy reading about stocks and shares and planning a new business venture with his father!