Melbourne Lockdown 2.0 - what it's like and what it means

 Are lockdowns working? It undoubtedly works to reduce infections and yet, the impact on mental health right now and into the future is being sorely neglected. What will happen for the many renters who are amassing a due debt once the eviction protection laws end? What will happen once the government funding for the jobless is cut off in March? No genuine long-term plans are being provided to alleviate these anxieties. It is costing, and it will cost, lives. While I heartily welcome the mandatory masks in public, I am one of the many Melburnians living under a dark gloomy curtain of fear and frustration at present.

Media has labelled this second Victorian clamp down on public life "Lockdown 2.0". Kicking off on July 9th, it has required a return to our apartments and houses to shelter ourselves away, preventing transmission of coronavirus. There's been positive and negative elements to Lockdown 2.0.

This time around, there haven't been major shortages of toilet paper, canned goods and painkillers. The first lockdown saw mass influxes of Melburnians descend on their supermarkets and chemists in the early hours to clear the shelves. There seems to be greater respect for social distancing too. I assume this is due to the confrontational nature of seeing everyone else in facial masks. It's a stark reminder that this is a life-and-death matter.

The worst part of Lockdown 2.0 is that hopes were dashed. Individuals, families, businesses and our city as a whole had seen a light on the horizon - a return, however gradual, to our lives where cafes, parks, dining out, going to galleries and sporting events would be possible after months of absence from our lives. We would see friends, colleagues and neighbours in the streets and be able to again talk to each other and to strangers - granted, at a distance.

Hunkered down in my apartment with my cavoodle, plotting our daily walks, I'd developed a passion for beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. I knew the novelty factor of this would soon wear off though and I, like everyone, had been anticipating an emergence from the online shopping chrysalis. In preparation for marching out of Lockdown 1.0, I've got a wardrobe of new ankle socks, yoga pants and makeup. I was ready to emerge months ago, and I'm even more prepared now. That said, life is not on hold at all. We are here for a short time when you consider the age of the universe and that the tree your dog pees on has likely been here a century before you showed up. We are here for a short time, and every day matters  whether you see anyone else or accomplish anything measurable or not. 

I have continued to write, to teach via Zoom and to keep to my daily routine of walking my dog, reading newspapers, magazines and websites to stay inspired and excited by what people are doing and thinking. I am very fortunate to live by the beach. Looking out at the ocean is the ultimate reminder to me that we are connected to everywhere else on this planet. To be too insular in our views, assuming the world is as small as our neighbourhood or city, is to rob ourselves of the beauty of being a global citizen. This is temporary and now that we know what it feels like to have our freedoms curtailed, hopefully it makes us appreciate them all the more when they are returned.

I know I'm doing this, and my city is doing this, so that - God forbid - we don't see Lockdown 3.0.

Global Vegan: recipes to nourish from Ellie Bullen's latest book

Global Vegan Recipes & Inspiration

During this time of restricted freedoms, most of us are able to take the time to reflect on what we most miss about our everyday lives and perhaps, what we were doing or valuing that, in retrospect, wasn't worth the time and energy. It is important to recognise that there are many people in situations of extreme danger - unable to be safe in their homes, insecure financially and in a very real situation of not having access to food, water, heat, medical help or government aid. While this is not about whether we deserve to grieve for what we've lost when it is relative to someone in a better or worse situation than our own, it is about recognising anything and everything we can be grateful for right now.

One thing that is enormously positive is that with less cars, planes, trucks and trains active, the air quality globally has improved significantly. There is a return of native fauna to their habitats when we are not interfering. There has been a drive towards YouTube for cooking and nutrition guidance and fitness services online are in boom time. People have more time to take care of themselves, if they choose to do it. You don't have to identify as vegan to enjoy vegan recipes. Keep in mind, the meat market in the US and Australia especially is under major pressure and without government intervention, it would crash. Killing animals for meat, often in brutal and inhumane circumstances, is not a sustainable industry. This is not to say that all non-meat industries are entirely ethical, so ultimately, spend your money with the full awareness that your dollar is essentially a vote for that business to continue trading and operating as it is. If you buy meat, question where it comes from and how the animals are treated before slaughter and the manner of their slaughter. It's much easier to do this when you buy direct from farmers through markets or via their websites. If this isn't possible, ask the stores or butchers you frequent about their sources. If they dismiss you or decline to provide you any information, go elsewhere. Anyway. You came for recipes, right? Here, three of my favourites for you to recreate at home. Feel free, like I do, to tweak things a little to suit your personal taste. I personally love jamu because it's super easy to make and you can easily find fresh turmeric at an Asian grocery and most fruit and vegetable markets. It's entirely a different flavour to powdered packets of turmeric, but obviously, if you can't source it fresh, anything is better than nothing!

Serves 2

2 cm piece of turmeric, peeled

5 cm piece of ginger, peeled

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon coconut nectar or ethically

sourced local honey

ice cubes, to serve

Place all the ingredients and 125 ml (1⁄2 cup)of water in a blender and blend on high for 60 seconds. 

Add another 375 ml (1 1⁄2 cups) ofwater and blend again for 30 seconds.

Strain through a fine sieve or nut-milk bag (but be aware that the turmeric will stain the bag).

Pour the tonic into ice-filled glasses or jars andenjoy. Any leftover can remain in the fridge for 4 days.

Serves 2

80 g tempeh, sliced into thin strips

2 tablespoons Fiery Korean Sauce (see page 277),

plus extra to serve (see Tip)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

550 g (3 cups) cooked brown rice

3 nori sheets

6 pickled daikon batons or any pickled veg

(see page 286)

3 tablespoons Spicy Korean Kimchi (see page 284)

½ avocado, finely sliced

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

sorrel leaves, to serve (optional)

Place the tempeh and fi ery Korean sauce in a small bowl, mix well and set aside for 20–30 minutes to marinate.

Stir half the sesame oil through the cooked rice and set aside.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the tempeh and fry for 1 minute on each side oruntil golden. Set aside.

Lay a nori sheet on a bamboo sushi mat and spread with a thin layer of rice, leaving a 2.5 cm border. 

Place a few strips of tempeh along the centre of the rice and top with two pieces of pickled veg, 1 tablespoon of the kimchi and a few slices of avocado. 

Dab a little water along the top edge of the nori sheet and roll up as you would a sushi roll, using the bamboo mat to assist you.

Repeat with the remaining nori sheets and filling.

Brush the rolls with the remaining sesame oil, sprinkle over the sesame seeds and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Once chilled, use a sharp knife to cut each roll into four to six even pieces. Serve with the fiery dipping sauce 

All recipes extracted with permission from The Global Vegan by Ellie Bullen, Published by Plum, RRP $34.99, Photography by Ellie Bullen