Hello Friends!!

Reporting semi-live from the quarantHotel.

I came home to Accra on the 21st of march from London, because where else would you rather be other than home as the apocalypse approaches?

I was met with a mandatory quarantine rule set by the Ghanian government. After disembarking the plane, we were told we would be undergoing quarantine by the government. I was like “HUHHHHH?”

Obvs didn’t resist, because it totally makes sense and there was bare police EVERYWHERE! Didn’t think i’d get far with 2 heavy suitcases anyway.

After being loaded on to police coaches, we were brought to a hotel and each passenger assigned a room. Rules and instructions about the quarantine followed the next day. It was a bit annoying that communication wasn’t clear from the start.

3 meals a day will be provided from the menu below. Some haven’t been TMA standard but most have been fine so far.

I’ll be updating this page everyday with my #quarantmusings so be sure to check back daily! Keep me company while I’m in quarantine!

Day 1

Confused as to what was going on. No clear instructions or briefings until later in the day.

Our “routine” was to be 2 temperature and health checks during the day for the next however many days that we would be here for.  We were also tested for covid-19 and let me tell you, it was NOT pleasant.

A long q-tip is inserted UP your nose. Like up, up your nose – IT HURTS. 0/10 would not recommend. Results are expected at least 48 hours later. The man in charge said if your results are negative you can discuss going home!!

Meals today were good, had breakfast and lunch, could barely eat dinner.

Mood: uncomfortable

Day 2

Had to order a box of my fave chocolates today. Can only go a day or two without sugar.

Couldn’t sleep to my hearts content cos there are building works right by my window and breakfast was served at 6:45am – boarding school or nah?

Mood: sleepy and tired.

Day 3

Oh Gad, results day. Felt like I was waiting for my A-level results. I was tense and getting a bit restless. The girl (me) tested NEGATIVE , we THANK GOD.

News broke that all people under quarantine whether positive or not would have to stay for 14 days 😕. The positive patients are to be taken to the treatment facilities while the rest of us are to remain in our rooms 24/7. YIKES.

Got lunch from home today, I didn’t feel like eating what the qurantHotel was serving. I love masa so much, if you don’t know what masa is, sorry for you tbh. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Mood: denial

Day 4

Today It was CONFIRMED that I was to remain at the hotel for the next 10 days. Temp check happened by my room door today so no going outside for me.

Couldn’t just netflix and chill anymore, time to make a timetable and get on with uni work (after I had a good cry of course).

Through out the day, I could hear sirens get closer and then disappear minutes later. I don’t have a view of the outside world from the window so I couldn’t see what was happening. But I assume that the sirens were ambulances here to transfer the patients to the treatment facility. Very eerie.

QuarantHotel felt more like quarantPrison today.

Mood: cranky (sorry friends and family).

Day 5

Slept better last night. Got a call from one of the medical staff to tell me (again) my test results were negative but that I have to stay in my room 24/7. HALPPPP. Why are they reminding me plis? I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN. 😕

Got loads of quaranTreats today, including madeleines, chocolate brioche and za’atar manakish.

Haven’t been outside my room in 2 days. Can’t even see what’s going on cos my view is scaffolding 🥴. Today’s mood is better than yesterday’s though. Didn’t eat any food from quarantHotel, but was craving some carrots and wings. Good thing i’m not too far from home!

Mood: acceptance (?).

Day 6

So sleepy today. Temp check at 8:30am by my room door and several other door bells later had me up earlier than I would have liked.

I was allowed out today! I can’t even lie but I had definitely started going crazy. Being stuck in one room for 2 days is not fun.

The meals today were very carb heavy and QUITE spicy. My spice tolerance is quite low and some of my family members LOVE to remind me.

Lunch was tuwo (rice balls) with groundnut soup – my all time faveeeee. It had fish in it though wasn’t too happy about that.

Guys, I had 3 half wings for dinner (LOOOLLL). I’ve been saying that i’ll come out of quarantine snatched by force, so I guess its good (maybe not sha, look at all the yam).

AHHHHHHHH, fresh airrrrrrr. Guys, I really did not expect to be having such a hard time in quarantine. Everyone knows i’m a home body and an introvert, so I spend most of my time indoors and alone anyway. I guess this is different. I miss my bed, my bed is literally a cloud, it’s one of those beds that you sink in to. I miss my kitchen, omg. I can’t wait to test all the recipe ideas I’ve been writing down!

Also, i started my marvel marathon today. Watched half of the first avenger, I’ve missed the MCU. Might also go back to reading my comics tbh.

Anyway, day 6 is done! Almost half way there!!

Mood today is; Meh.

Day 7

HALF WAY THERE!!!! I can almost feel my bed although i’m not sure what’s going to happen at the end of the 14 days as Accra and some other cities are going into lockdown for two weeks.

I woke up SLANGRY (anger induced by sleepiness) because the building works STILL CARRIED ON TODAY – A SATURDAY. COME ON

I had madeleines for breakfast, jollof rice for lunch and a sandwich for dinner. Ghana or nail jolly doesn’t really matter at this point.

Also got some more #quarantsnacks!! Might not come out of quarantine snatched after all.

Temp check twice by my room door again. I didn’t venture outside today,  I’m too anxious and paranoid so I occupied myself with calligraphy and watching the second half of captain America.

Mood: almost at cheerful!

Day 8

Woke up at my own time today and I was feeling GREAT!

I watched the resident and Hulk, did a bit of calligraphy and decided to venture to the rooftop for some fresh air. I should have just stayed in my room tbh. I was just minding my business on the rooftop, social distancing and then I spot my driver bringing some stuff from home for me. YAYY, home food and more clothes. Tell me WHY the security asked him to put the bags on the ground because they didn’t want to handle the bags Needless to say, I was not happy about that. A few VERY frustrating conversations later with management, I decided to just go back to my room, sanitise everything and eat some chocolate. After all, I can’t come and stress myself!

Lunch today was rice (duhhh) and stew. , didn’t take a picture of my dinner but I had dan wake – bean dumplings (?).

Mood by the end of the day was annoyed.

Anyway, we keep pushing. On to week 2 of quarantine!

Day 9

Today seemed very long. Didn’t venture out so I decided to take a walk along the corridor in the evening.

Lunch was ……. rice and chicken. I still don’t mind, must be because #blasian.

Did some more calligraphy, tried to do some uni work but got v distracted by YouTube.

Dinner was … NOT RICE!!! PIZZA!!

There might have been scotch bonnet and a hint of stew sha 🤣💀. I enjoyed the change from rice.

Overall, today was a very very meh day, no new #quarantreats, but there is light at the end of the quaranTunnel!

Mood: meh.

Day 10

Seems like all of Accra but the building site near my window is on lockdown 😒.

Woke up semi-slangry but very very hungry. Lunch today was rice balls and groundnut soup (another day, another rice, duh). Didn’t take a picture though. Can I also just apologise for the pictures I’ve been taking, they haven’t been the cutest.

I ventured out today! I sat outside on the rooftop for like 30 minutes for some fresh air. IT WAS HOT, had to come back to my room for some Air con.

Dinner was funny today, the quarantHotel were offering fried fish and I’m not a huge fan of fried fish. So I asked for an egg sandwich (that’s all I could think of).

Take 1:

An omlette with onions and peppers and some bread. I have a hard time eating anything but plain eggs. I also forgot to specify that I wanted a plain omelette so I ate the bread but was still v v hungry. I called the restaurant and asked for a plain omelette and some more bread.

Take 2:

YAYYY, a plain omlette. I guess I had breakfast for dinner. I haven’t had breakfast since like day 3 because quarantHotel still insist on serving breakfast at 7:30 am, when i’d really rather be asleep.

Today was an okay day over all. Did some more calligraphy and actually did some uni work today!

Mood: good-ish.

Day 11

Another day, another wake up call by the lovely builders 😑.

Today was test day 2 for us quarantiners. This time it was the throat swab not the nasal swab, thank GOD. It wasn’t really painful, it was just a bit uncomfortable.

Lunch today was rice and stew (duhhhhhhhhhh) and it was SO SO good. It was v spicy though but it was really, really good.

Dinner was spaghetti bolognese. Pasta (not cacio but pastaaaaa still).

Tell me WHY it had ginger pieces in it though?

The president sent us juice boxes guys! I actually lol’d when the juices were delivered but  what a super cute gesture!!

I have to say, I’ve been so so impressed by how the government have handled this pandemic.

April be good to us PLEASE.

Mood: good

Day 12

It seems like the construction has moved to right outside my window today, so I woke up QUITE slangry.

My mission for the day was to try and sleep some more but i’m not a nap taker so I find it quite hard to sleep during the day 😕

The only extra sleep I got was from falling asleep for 10 minutes watching “love jacked” on Netflix. Not a bad movie, might as well watch it since we’re all indoors.

I only had one meal today and it was …… rice (what else could it have possibly been?). Funky fried rice though, it had pineapple chunks in it!

I really liked it. Not doing well being flexitarian, but like, what else can I eat, just rice? I think not.

Didn’t do much today, 2 temp checks as usual and sat outside for like half an hour. Didn’t do any uni work or calligraphy either.

Mood: meh

Day 13

Another lovely wake up call by the lovely builders -_-

Obvs I don’t eat breakfast because quarantHotel LOVE to serve breakfast at like 7:30am 😕. I would love to know why.

Lunch was (LOL), I don’t think I need to tell you tbh. I’ll let you use your imagination.

I couldn’t stop eating the chocolate brioche I got, so I wasn’t really that hungry for dinner.

Dinner was *drumroll* , fries and a burger! I ate the fries and had a bite of the burger but it tasted a bit funny. One more brioche for me I guess. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Day 14

Home today or nah?

HOMEEEE! You’ll be happy to know that i’m typing this up front the comfort of my HEAVENLY bed!

Got woken up by the builders at 6:45am today…. and then quarantHotel wanted to serve breakfast and take my lunch order by 7:30 🙃.

At about 11am, I was asked to go and see the nurses. Obvs it was time to get my second test results. Walked in to a room with a psychologist in full hazmat gear waiting to dismiss us from quarantHotel.

Second test was negative, thank GOD! Now I can finally go home and bake to my hearts content!

What an interesting 14 days it’s been.

Will I ever eat rice again? Yes, I ate rice when I got home cos that’s what was on the counter 🙃. What do people who live on the outside eat again? Can’t remember, I only know rice 😭.

Thank you for following along my journey in quarantine, see you over on insta!

Stay safe, stay at home and wash your hands, friends!

TMA.