Editor’s Letter

JUST BREATHE

What. A. Year. I’m exhausted just trying to type and muse at the same time, let alone any of the challenges other people are facing right now, like homeschooling kids, working from home, not touching faces, stress-baking Alison Roman’s latest NYT Cooking contribution… It’s a wild time to be alive, and also wearying - so very, very wearying.

Despite it all, I have found some silver linings. Even though I’ll rejoice when I’m told it’s safe to enter a yoga studio or crowded cocktail bar again, I’m still trying to appreciate what’s enjoyable about this insane situation. A good friend of mine who is a successful (read: expensive) yoga instructor in London has gone online, and now I get free invites to her classes. My parents are always available to chat these days, despite a normally prohibitive time zone difference - I taught my 68-year-old mother the meaning of “ombre” the other day.

Everyone’s experience coping under COVID-19 is bound to be different, and that’s something we explore in our cover feature on p.18. We spoke to three different women in Hong Kong (a doctor, a mum, and a quarantined teacher) whose lives have all changed as the world collectively moves through an era of novel coronavirus.

We’ve also pooled our best suggestions on how to stay entertained and fighting fit when you’re social distancing. Whether you’re self-isolating at home, stuck in a government quarantine facility, or just hate people in general, there’s a ton of things you can do to stay sane when you’re stuck indoors. Read more on p.28. Under the umbrella of “stress-adjacent topics” we also explain why weighted blankets are going mainstream (p.26) and speak to a certified trichologist about female hair loss (p.32). There’s nothing a cup of tea can’t fix, or so I’ve been told by British relatives. Test that theory to the fullest this month with our roundup of Hong Kong’s finest local tea brands on p.12. Happy April, and remember to wash your hands!

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Shop local! Zoe Belhomme finds eco-friendly baby essentials at an organic, HK mum-run business on p.37.

Forced to travel due to difficult circumstances? Kate Springer gives her top tips on staying safe while en route on p.34.

No rest for the unweighted! Sarah Fung shares her experiences sleeping with a weighted blanket on p.24.

Jo Robinson gets SWEAT-y at home with fitspo icon Kayla Itsines’ workout app on p.16.

CARLA THOMAS EDITOR

facebook.com/livmagazine.hk

liv.magazine, #livmagazine www.liv-magazine.com

Say hi hello@liv-magazine.com Buy an ad sales@liv-magazine.com

Send invites and info to: Makerhive, 10/F, Cheung Hing Industrial Building, 12P Smithfield, Kennedy Town

PUBLISHER SARAH FUNG DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS JO ROBINSON SENIOR SALES MANAGER ANSHU RIJHWANI EDITOR CARLA THOMAS WRITER ZOE BELHOMME SOCIAL MEDIA STACEY MARCELO ADMINISTRATOR JASMIN BLUNCK GRAPHIC DESIGN TAMMY TAN CONTRIBUTORS KATE SPRINGER, JO ROBINSON PRINTED BY GEAR PRINTING LIMITED, ROOM B, 3/F, DERRICK INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, 49-51 WONG CHUK HANG ROAD, ABERDEEN