My younger daughter and I were booked to go to the UK for 5 weeks, which was of course cancelled.

We're stuck at home, like most of the rest of the country... and the world. But every cloud has a silver lining and ours is that in addition to lots of family time, I'm able to teach my elder daughter to drive, as well as exercise lots with and without her... because we both need to shed some weight.

What are your silver linings to this lockdown situation? 

In the face of such global calamites i don't see and silver lining making things a little less bad for billions of people, on a very small scales maybe, but overall this is a right royal mega disaster by any stretch of imaginations...

Bored stiff. Prob wont catch the flu due to high zinc and sd. Otherwise its <deleted>.

Market volatility makes for interesting investment strategies. Moved out of funds into day trading individual shares. Also bars are closed......saving a fortune. 

Spending a lot less, not going anywhere. Having more deep and meaningful conversations with TV posters.

4 of my five investment traunches were in cash when all this hit.

 

I still have my job.

 

My wife isn't the least bit driving me crazy

 

No one in my family is ill save for my cousin and his daughter. Mild cases.

 

Done a lot of organizing I'd never otherwise done.

 

Started to yet again consider moving back to states in five years.

 

Having no idea how all this will play is, at least, interesting.

Perhaps our civilization needed a reset. I'm not convinced many people were particularly happy or fulfilled, despite it being the richest and most comfortable time in human history.

This enforced time-out will be a period of reflection for many. Some relationships and marriages that should end will end. Some people will break away from jobs and careers that they secretly hate. Some may finally do something about their health and fitness.

A collapsed economy might finally convince the Thai people to kick the generals out of power.

Thailand might reassess their turn against Westerners and realize that we contribute to their economy in ways that are stabilizing at village level but not easy to quantify.

Working remotely will become far more accepted, increasing the work opportunities available for those of us based in S.E. Asia.

People may become more aware of how, in return for convenience and cheap goods, we have turned a blind eye to a pretty rotten regime in China.
 

The left might start to focus once again on things that matter to regular folks, which will rebalance all politics.
 

 

Edited April 9, 20206 yr by donnacha

At last don't need to have an excuse for staying home and doing nothing.

As I'm still working, getting to the office & going home on the MRT is fantastic. No queues, not crammed in shoulder to shoulder. I'll miss that when things get back to normal.

Property crash may finally arrive.

Air is less polluted.

Back in UK where medical treatment is better from my many Thai experiences and cost is zero.

 

Edited April 9, 20206 yr by twix38

Death.

 

I believe the world will be a different place once we get Covid-19 behind us, possibly in 12-18 months time, and, hopefully, it will be for the better.  An objective view of the world, despite all of the 21st Century nice-to-haves, tells me that it was a much better place 50 years ago; a much more contented place for the average Joe and his family, even those struggling financially.  The lockdown is giving people time to reflect on their lives and the stage that they are at, to re-examine their values, perhaps to resolve to change their lifestyles in a more positive and satisfying way than previously.

Moving across the border into Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2 months ago!!

 

4 hours ago, donnacha said:

Having no idea how all this will play is, at least, interesting.

Perhaps our civilization needed a reset. I'm not convinced many people were particularly happy or fulfilled, despite it being the richest and most comfortable time in human history.

This enforced time-out will be a period of reflection for many. Some relationships and marriages that should end will end. Some people will break away from jobs and careers that they secretly hate. Some may finally do something about their health and fitness.

A collapsed economy might finally convince the Thai people to kick the generals out of power.

Thailand might reassess their turn against Westerners and realize that we contribute to their economy in ways that are stabilizing at village level but not easy to quantify.

Working remotely will become far more accepted, increasing the work opportunities available for those of us based in S.E. Asia.

People may become more aware of how, in return for convenience and cheap goods, we have turned a blind eye to a pretty rotten regime in China.
 

The left might start to focus once again on things that matter to regular folks, which will rebalance all politics.
 

 

Well thank you for delivering one of the most insightful posts I have seen on TVF....It makes a welcome change!

 

I hate living here in Thailand and want to return to my home country but I can't leave until I sell my house here since all my savings is tied up in the house. The only redeeming thing is the low cost of living here. 

8 minutes ago, Kurtf said:

I hate living here in Thailand and want to return to my home country but I can't leave until I sell my house here since all my savings is tied up in the house. The only redeeming thing is the low cost of living here. 

Never buy

People seem to confuse "silver linings" with "blessings" . we all have our blessings and should be grateful for them, but this is not what this thread asks for.(if I understood this OP correctly)

One "Silver Lining" of this virus situation is that I am getting a chance to catch up with my reading.

Currently reading  "Julian" by Gore Vidal , something I wanted to do for a long time but could not find the time.

Social distancing not new for me.

Been doing it since I retired 5 yrs ago.

I enjoy to be home with my wife n dogs and enjoy my hobbies of Beekeeping and Baking.

16 minutes ago, Kurtf said:

I hate living here in Thailand and want to return to my home country but I can't leave until I sell my house here since all my savings is tied up in the house. The only redeeming thing is the low cost of living here. 

You may be waiting for years to sell.

 

Learn from this,guys. 

Dont brink into thailand,what you cant afford to loose.

21 minutes ago, Kurtf said:

I hate living here in Thailand and want to return to my home country but I can't leave until I sell my house here since all my savings is tied up in the house. The only redeeming thing is the low cost of living here. 

Where is it, what is it and how much do you want?

Always interested in property at the right price.

6 minutes ago, murraynz said:

You may be waiting for years to sell.

 

Learn from this,guys. 

Dont brink into thailand,what you cant afford to loose.

 

He's not loss it mate.    its tied up in his house.

 

No football.

I regained access to a server I had at Amazon Web Services.  It's been running since 2014 but I lost access and over the years have thought about sorting it but just never got round to it.   Been paying $15 a month so kind of glad I can use it again. 

Sorted out another server that was costing me $25 a month, moved 3 websites off that onto one of my other servers, then shut down the $25 a month one. 

Set up a new server this morning so I have everything better organised. 

 

45 minutes ago, Captain 776 said:

Social distancing not new for me.

Been doing it since I retired 5 yrs ago.

I enjoy to be home with my wife n dogs and enjoy my hobbies of Beekeeping and Baking.

Always been facinated by beekeeping.

The SARS-CoV-2 induced market fall has presented some amazing opportunities to buy into some quality blue chips at a discount. 
Other than that it gives me an excuse to drink margaritas and race online all day 

 

 

1 hour ago, Captain 776 said:

Social distancing not new for me.

Been doing it since I retired 5 yrs ago.

I enjoy to be home with my wife n dogs and enjoy my hobbies of Beekeeping and Baking.

Bread looks fantastic! What type of oven are you baking in?

I wake up each morning still breathing easy

My silver lining is that I am not in the UK or the US.

I have been predicting huge catastrophes since i was a teen, finally i can say i was right