Three Unsteady Years: A Sydney Pandemic Diary

Do you remember what you were doing when the world stopped?

Yingxia does. Every day, she faithfully chronicled the extraordinary experience that became part of ordinary life. Blogging from Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, her words united individuals fragmented by a world in isolation.

As an overseas Chinese, Yingxia faced the burdens of separation from loved ones, and the reality of alienation turning to racism. As the distance between humans and humanity grew, the age-old adage of ‘love thy neighbour’ became more than just words to live by, but a promise to do better.

With humour, honesty and hope, this poet’s diary became a beacon. Shedding light on the fears we were afraid to admit and voicing the joys we forgot how to share, she turned the uncertainty of three years into a testimony of humanity’s resilience.