Storm Cecile is a spoken word artist, creative and singer. She was recently in China teaching ESL English to over 800 children and working part-time with Luohu District. With China being the first country to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, we caught up, on her return to the UK to talk about life amidst COVID-19.
Describe your experience in China?
My experience in China was, for the most part, pretty amazing. I really love how beautiful Shenzhen city is, the culture and the vibrancy of the city. I hated the pictures being taken all the time, some times the heat was overbearing but I loved it overall. I consider China a second home. Getting to know the people in China was an absolute honour and despite the language barrier, they always tried their best to accommodate and welcome you.
One of my favorite places was the Dong Xi Chong Trail in Shenzhen. I also loved the quad biking trails, visiting the Great Wall of China and Tiananmen Square in Beijing. A lot of the food was really nice if you knew what you were looking for. My favorite food to get in the morning was 南瓜饼 which is basically a pumpkin pancake or 肉饼 which is a meat pancake. It was a vibe.
What were some of the challenges you faced?
Things began to go downhill after I came back from Beijing. I lived in Shenzhen so me and my friend Tommy took a four-hour flight in Mid January from Shenzhen to Beijing to see The Great Wall and Tiananmen Square. Shortly after that we started hearing about the virus. Tommy went back home as he was finished with teaching but I stayed as I planned to continue. However, the death toll started to rise and we were all told to stay inside. It was hard at times but I was quite happy anyway. I spent a lot of time learning Chinese and studying the language more. I also spent a lot of time praying and talking to God. It was definitely days of encounter. I loved it.
Things quickly changed however and it became law in Guangdong Province to wear a mask outside. We’d only go outside to get food but there were a couple times where the stores were empty. No one was in my apartment block really. I was alone for a long time. I decided to come back to the UK not out of fear of the virus – because the Chinese community are very supportive, but because food drivers couldn’t get into our community because it was closed off.
It became to difficult for me to communicate what I wanted to eat or how to find the drivers because none of them spoke any English at all. After speaking to my accountability officer, Pastor Ade from Christian Concern, I decided to come home and everyone was very supportive in that decision.
What would your advice be for everyone now considering the COVID-19 outbreak?
My advice for everyone in the UK would be not to panic buy and be considerate of others. Someone may actually need that food more than you and the reason why China has dealt with the epidemic so well is because they know how to work together and they are excellent at working collectively. In the UK we need to maintain that same spirit, ensuring that we are respectful of people and caring.
We also need to understand the function of the mask. Culturally it’s different for those that live in China; for many it’s a sign of respect. So just because someone’s wearing a mask doesn’t mean they’re infected. It could just be their way of showing respect and also protecting themselves.
Finally, we need to pray. Those that are called by His name, repent and seek His face, have the power to activate God’s ears and heal the land. We cannot underestimate the power of prayer at this time.
