2020: My Year Abroad
For us overseas Chinese, 2020 was truly a nightmare year. There’s a saying online: “China played the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic, while foreign countries played the second half.” However, this second half has lasted much longer than the first, and it’s still uncertain when it will end.
In early 2020, due to the severe epidemic situation in China, patriotic overseas Chinese actively purchased various medical supplies to aid China’s fight against the pandemic. We, the Chinese Association of Ireland, also raised funds and donated tens of thousands of FFP2 medical masks and protective suits to help the homeland.
In March 2020, COVID-19 broke out in Ireland, and a nationwide lockdown was implemented to fight the epidemic. This marked the beginning of the second half of our battle against the virus. Due to the recurring outbreaks, Ireland oscillated between lockdown and reopening phases. Chinese businesspeople in Ireland suffered greatly as a result.
Speaking from personal experience, I had planned to open a new Hong Kong-style tea restaurant in the city center of Dublin in mid-March 2020. However, due to the lockdown, the opening was forced to be postponed until July. The stress of the pandemic, compounded by government recommendations to work from home, led to a dramatic decrease in foot traffic in central Dublin. The once bustling commercial streets were now only frequented by a few pigeons and seagulls. The business was bleak; we had to pay rent and salaries on time, especially since some chefs had been specifically brought in from China, and we had responsibilities toward them. With the repeated lockdowns, our new restaurant struggled between opening and closing, and the regular customers we gained through word of mouth began to disappear. No amount of promotion seemed to help in this situation. Delivery service platforms charged high fees, and the revenue from takeout alone could not cover the monthly expenses. The immense pressure felt like mountains upon our shoulders. The surge in COVID-19 cases over the 2020 Christmas period in Ireland only added to our difficulties. I believe my situation was not the worst. Since the outbreak, many Chinese businesses in Ireland have closed down, some because they could no longer bear it, and others because they chose not to continue.
However, I knew I had to keep going, as there was no way back, only forward, even if it meant struggling to the very end.
Fortunately, with the advent of vaccines, we finally saw a glimmer of hope. I believe that in 2021 we will eventually overcome the pandemic, and our glorious moments will soon return. I look forward to the new year when the pandemic fades and spring returns to the earth.
2020我在海外这一年
2020年对于我们在海外的华侨来说简直就是噩梦年。网上流传着一句话：新冠疫情中国打上半场，外国打下半场。但这下半场的持续时间远远比上半场要长呀，什么时候才能结束完场呢？
2020年初，由于国内疫情严峻，海外爱国侨胞纷纷主动为祖国搜购各种医疗物资援助祖国抗疫，我们爱尔兰华协会也集资捐赠了数万个FFP2医用口罩和医用防护服回祖国协助抗疫。
2020年3月份，爱尔兰爆发新冠疫情，全国实施封城政策抗疫，属于我们旅爱华侨抗击新冠病毒的战役下半场正式打响。由于疫情的反复，爱尔兰一直徘徊在封城与解封状态之间，在爱经商的华侨也因此遭受着严重的重创。
以我自身经历为例，当时我计划2020年3月中在爱尔兰首都都柏林市中心新开张一家港式茶餐厅，但由于封城政策的实施，被迫延迟至7月份才能开张营业，疫情的紧张加上政府提倡在家办公，导致都柏林市中心人流量一落千丈，平日人山人海的商业街，如今也只有几只鸽子和海鸥在打闹嬉戏。生意惨淡，我们除了要按时支付租金，还要支付工资，毕竟有几位厨师是专门从国内请过来的，我们也需要对他们负责。由于疫情反复，爱尔兰一直徘徊在封城与解封状态之间，我们的新店也一直徘徊在开业与停业之间，好不容易靠口碑攒回来的熟客就这样流失了，这种状态下哪怕做再多的宣传也没用。外卖服务平台收费太高，且光靠外卖业务的营业额，根本就无法支撑每月庞大的开销。多重大山压在我们的肩膀上，2020年圣诞期间爱尔兰疫情告急，无疑使得我们雪上加霜。我相信，我的情况还不是最糟糕的。据统计，疫情爆发以来，爱尔兰已经有很多华人企业倒闭，有的是实在扛不住，有的是不愿意继续扛下去。但我心里明白，无论如何，我都要扛下去，因为已经没有退路了，只能继续扛，往死里扛。
幸好现在疫苗面世，终于看见了曙光，相信2021年我们终将战胜疫情，属于我们的辉煌时刻很快重临。期待新年疫情消散，春回大地。
Leave a Reply