2020 is a weird year all of us will remember for a long time. 2020 is akin to checking the roads left and right twice, and getting run over by an fighter jet from above.
covid19 has changed we live our lives - from working, socializing and traveling. some lost friends and families and some lost jobs. some gained time and some gained weight.
we saw human behavior at its best and at its worst.
this is year i want to remember but not relive and here are 20 sets of diptychs to remember this bizarre year.
here is to wishing everyone to a better 2021 ahead.
p.s. fast forward to oct 2021, the number of cases almost tripled since the start of the year. number of deaths is 9x. there were new restrictions with varied names. there is a new minister in charge of health. borders remained largely closed. but one thing is constant - we will learn to live with this disease, like we learn to live with annual taxes.
prior to the announcement of the circuit breaker (singapore's lingo for lockdown), many rushed to stores to stock up on essentials. toilet paper, canned food, instant noodles, hand sanitizers, washing detergent and contraceptives were snapped up. the most sought after were toilet paper. so it seems during crisis, all we can think off is about our asses.
l: empty food shelves at a supermarket. the only thing available was parsley, people rather starve than consume that herb.
r: a shopper without shoes. i wasn't sure what he was thinking but i suppose no shoes is better than no pants.
all public spaces were installed with tapes (often red) and barriers to draw boundaries or indicate social distancing requirements. most of the tapes were removed when social distancing requirements laxed, and what remained was a gunk scar to remind us of this period.
l: slash-patterned, commonly used in hawker centers
r: cross-patterned. commonly used in parks and pirates
singapore's tourism was hit hard and many businesses folded or for those who have the cashflow, went into hibernation. all the tourist attractions were empty during the circuit breaker period. it is weird to see structures and buildings without hoards of people doing selfies.
l: the marina bay sands car park was closed as the hotel, convention center and casino was non-operational. the only indulgence gamblers did during this period was to leave the house without getting caught.
r: marina bay sands hotel with 0 occupancy, and some rooms were lit to form "singapore love". or maybe it meant "stuff going on".
streets were practically empty during the circuit breaker - a rare scene at one of the world's densest country. traffic was butter smooth on the roads, central business district was operating at resting heart rate. on the other hand, parks were crowded with people with a new found interest in running and exercising.
l: a net barrier preventing people from exercising at the field. eventually, it was breached by some yogi doing the downward dog.
r: an abandoned baby stroller. i wasn't sure what happened. maybe it was like the butterfly breaking out from the pupa skeleton.
dining in at hawker centers and restaurants were prohibited during circuit breaker - and many hawker centers used markers to off-limit their tables and chairs. not being able to have a communal meal and observe other people slurping in their primal glory is a bummer for me.
l: the 7th month style pink plastic table cover. i wasn't sure if this was a deterrent or an invitation.
r: the construction fish net style plastic cover. i think the design idea was to trap law breakers if they sat on it.
many cancelled or deferred matrimony plans as wedding celebrations were restricted during covid. there were many disappointed couples, maybe a few happy ones. finally weddings can be a personal affair instead of a performance for families and friends.
l: a display of traditional chinese wedding outfits. i don't think these sell very well during covid, unless there is a niche fro cosplayers.
r: chairs at a chinese restaurant with the 1m social distance compliant set up. this would be the weirdest groom and bride photo take.
for many, this year provides extra time saved from commuting and running errands. some used the extra time for hobbies, some waste it on netflix, some upgrade themselves, some start speaking to houseplants, some become bakers and cooks. but many use the extra hours to rest more. and some take resting a tad too far.
l: a man lying to take a photo of a pothole. i am not sure what is in the pothole, but it is definitely more interesting than self quarantine.
r: a man sleeping on a fish net-styled hawker center table. maybe he wasn't sleeping, maybe he was trapped by the net and fainted from exhaustion. now i wait for the safe distancing spiders to come consume him
after a couple of months, normalcy returned to everyday living. people realised they weren't the athlete, chef, botanist, baker, cyclist, day time trader they thought they became during the pandemic. life returns, masked up and with cleaner hands.
l: i suppose by the time he woke up, the pandemic would have ended
r: this shop sells paper offerings for the afterlife. and yes, they sell masks for the dead as an offering.
nature seemed to flourish during the pandemic - with reported sightings of otter gangs fighting, wild boar entering residential areas and occasionally, covidiots gathering for beer. singapore is a massive city garden, during the pandemic, the weeds were not trimmed and the plants not manicured - it is like the state of the body between winter and summer, before hitting the beaches.
l: monkeys practicing social distancing
r: a pair of delicious looking pre-roast
all businesses were affected one way or another, but retail and f&b were hard hit during the pandemic due to mobility restrictions. malls were shut. entertainment venues were closed. dine-in was prohibited. bars were dry. food places had limited operating hours and yet, for some reason, i put on weight. bummer.
l: a food delivery rider at orchard road during mid-day
r: a scene at boat quay during weekend evening
wfh is the 2020 acronym everyone knows and practices. the 2 images contrast the view i have at work in just a couple of months. i never imagine i would say this but i miss my office but i still don't miss my bosses.
l: an empty office during the circuit breaker period
r: my wfh view, enjoyed with short pants
malls were quieter than the library and the silence only punctuated by patrons doing take away food or the patrolling security guards. the national pastime of shopping has morphed from physical stores to online spend. i bought every imagineable item i don't need during this period, including a spring onion slicer (and i can't cook).
l: a mall at the east side of singapore. these massage chairs and child ride will require some serious greasing when normalcy returns.
r: a mall at orchard road. major brands and luxury shops shut their shutters during this period. finally, ladies can normalize their shoe purchases.
many f&b were either shut or operated as a take away business. take away means that for several months, i consumed cold and limpy meals, or incorrect orders. it also meant supporting local businesses - i ordered a nasi lemak for 12 dollars, paid another 10 dollars for delivery and the rice came with half an egg, one malnutrition wing and 24 ikan billis.
l: macdonald's was shut for several weeks - a first in its history here. when it finally reopened, there were more joy of tears than when we became independent back in 1965.
r: people's park food center - the tables were cling wrapped in case someone want it to go along with the food orders.
singapore held its general elections during the pandemic - there weren't any physical political rallies and the mood was somber. the government spent several billions on covid assistance during the run-up to the elections. it wasn't a walkover with many opposition camps (some great, some hilarious). the ruling government won but it wasn't a cigar.
l: political placards at tiong bahru (and some illegal parking).
r: the first voter at my constituency - with safe distancing, voting was long and painful at some places (i wonder if anyone voted against because of that)
the mood for celebrating major festivals were also affected - from chinese new year to christmas. many gatherings were cancelled or reduced because of the gathering restrictions (from 5 to now 8). still, there were some who test the law by gathering beyond the allowed numbers, and they posted on social media to prove it.
l: chinese new year at the heartlands
r: christmas light-up at orchard road
the weather seemed to be dramatic during 2020 - from eclipse, to blue mood and wild weather shifts - even more dramatic than those korean series. these 2 images contrast the weather taken from my home's balcony
l: storm cloud
r: burning sunset
the national day was also a reduced affair - with the lowest attendance of a reduced parade. instead of the usual flypast at the parade, the flypast of the military planes went round the island. it is hard to feel patriotic during a pandemic.
l: flypast across my home
r: a small crowd gathered to watch the fireworks
besides wfh, another trending term is "care packages" - essentially food packages received from family or friends.
l: dragon boat dumplings
r: dry mee siam
the government went from a "no need for mask" to a "compulsory mask" policy in a couple of months - drawing some flak from public and health officials alike. hey, they were responding based on developing information from world health organisation - go easy on them.
l: the government distributing free re-usable masks during the early days of the pandemic.
r: a supermarket with a fresh stock of masks. during the start of pandemic, masks were out of stock.
the transport and travel industry was hit hard. the national carrier, singapore airlines, suffered massive losses and had to let go air crew and staff. some volunteered to support the safe-distancing national campaign, some quit the job, some found alternative passions. i hope to be able to travel with singapore airlines again (just because i have way too many miles).
l: a masked stewardess during the start of the pandemic when flying was still unrestricted
r: a public bus with safe distancing labels
© 2026 默默 富酷
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