Punas here punas there, hugas here hugas there. This is what the coronavirus scare has brought us and made us, OCDs.
We are now clean freaks. Germophobic. Mysophobic. Dumibics. Yung mga hindi mahilig maligo dati, naliligo na ngayon.
Last January, face mask was the hottest selling item in town, now it’s the sanitizers, Wet Ones, Bacterial Hand Wash, Alcohol, water, and toilet papers! There is panic buying of toilet papers. Americans cannot live without toilet papers soft on the behind.
I can survive without any toilet paper. I was born long before toilet papers found their way in our provincial town. Nung araw, lumang dyaryo (old newspaper) ang pinampapahid ng mga tiga barrio. Kami medyo sosyal na, hindi naman dyaryo kasi magagasgas ang balat. My mom used soap and water to wash my tiny but, and white towel for drying.
I have always been fond of washing my hands. I hate touching public surfaces. I bring my own pen so I don’t use public ballpens. I don’t touch public toilet doors, flush levers, public faucets.
Even before China exported the virus, I’ve already stopped shaking hands unlike when I was in my 30s when I shook hands with everyone, sobrang corporate. Today, I avoid shaking hands even during business meetings. Sometimes people are taken aback when I wave instead of shake hands. Going to restaurant buffets are also unsanitary in a way. Imagine you wash your hands before eating. When you get food, you use the serving spoon used by hundreds other diners.
Stop licking your fingers when eating. Stop sharing your utensils, glasses, cups, even with your sweetheart and kids.
I have actually become a germaphobe long before the coronavirus has arrived.
Punas dito,
Punas doon.
Oh I almost forgot, sanitize your telephones, cellular phones, iPads.
