The weekend before the phase 2 of lockdown easing, we decided to shop in one of the biggest supermarkets in Luzern. On normal days, Pilatusmarkt can be very hectic and sometimes quite daunting, especially on a weekend. It is a popular place for people of all nationalities to go shopping. I already braced myself, expecting the worst when we were on our way there. Luckily, it was very quiet perhaps because, as of 1st of May, the opening hours of the shops on a weekend has been extended to 17:00 whereas previously it was only until 16:00. Something is moving forward here at last!
When we arrived at the parking, I thought it is going to be a crazy mess as usual, but it was not the case. The entrance gate did not ask for the parking ticket, instead, we were greeted with a sign saying that parking spaces are free during shop opening hours. I thought that was genuinely nice, it is unusual to get something free in Switzerland.
We took our shopping bags and walked into the complex. While walking in, we saw a long queue although not with many people because they were all queueing and keeping a 2m distance from each other. There was hand sanitiser at all the entrance doors before you enter and there was someone who was taking care of the queue and making sure that everyone was abiding the rules. Though it was quite a long queue, it did not seem to be a long wait. Everyone was quiet. Not one single person complained, and everyone was patiently waiting in the queue until it was their turn.
In cases like these, I am usually the first person to complain, but not this time. Inside I saw most of the shops were closed except for the supermarket, the do-it-yourself and the bakery. Everyone was happy just to be able to get their essential stuff and they were trying to be normal. I couldn’t help but shed a tear. It hit me so hard that I couldn’t believe that one day something like this would happen in my lifetime. All shops have notices at the front door advising how we can protect ourselves. Many had “Sale posters” to attract people to buy. Everyone was trying to act normally, though I could see from their eyes and feel from the tension in the air that there were a lot of uncertainties. There were a lot of questions. Will we be able to get back to how it was before?
I felt incredibly sad because I felt that everyone is trying to live and survive. I felt grounded. For sure this virus crisis has taught me how to be patient and humble, that when anxiety is unbearable, to whisper a prayer that hopefully one day when I wake up, we will get through this all together.
Stay safe everyone!
