How stars and friends abroad are coping with COVID-19 (First of a series)

On lockdown like everybody else, stars and friends living abroad are trying their best in coping in the time of COVID-19. Quarantined at home, they follow almost the same routine (and finding rhythm and reason in it) very much like we do back home. Let’s find out how they are faring out there.

Jessica Rodriguez and David Bunevacz, Calabasas, California

We are a bit blessed here in California. Everyone is really complying with the quarantine order and staying away from all friends and family. In fact, our governor here in California was praised for deciding the lockdown earlier than did other states.

So we protect ourselves by not really going out and not see any of our extended family and friends. We only go out if we need to buy food in the supermarket. And when we do, we wear masks and make sure to wear gloves as well. There are not much gloves so I bought dishwasher gloves and use those.

Then we also leave the paper bags outside the house or wipe them with Lysol. We try not to bring our shoes inside the house but sometimes we forget.

Her husband David Bunevacz is doing the cooking

Our daily routine is like this:

1. A.M. — We wake up late now because we sleep late since there’s really nothing much going on. We all work out. We are blessed to have a gym at home. But if the weather is good we walk outside or whoever is available.

2. Then, we will have lunch...like salad or tuna sandwich, something light.

3. Then, we each do our own thing. My youngest attends online school (since schools are closed). My son teaches school online. My oldest daughter works for me and Dave, so she’s busy the whole day with us. I am usually busy and that hasn’t changed...doing videos for my brand, for my social media, for my podcast the polished woman, writing for my book and doing marketing for my feminine wash that I am launching soon Dave is on the phone almost the whole day for business.

4. Then, at around 4 to 4:30 p.m., Dave and my sister-in-law prepare dinner...but very gourmet dinner consisting of everything he makes from scratch. He’s actually very good. I still don’t know how to cook. He does all the cooking. We have dinner at 6 p.m.

5. Then, we always end our day watching TV as a family, all of us will be at the family room or the theater while eating popcorn.

I know that a lot of people are hurting, emotionally, financially and mentally because of the virus but somehow this quarantine is relaxing for us and really brings us closer and makes us appreciate life, and get to know God.

While on home quarantine, Jessica Rodriguez spends some of her time working out.

So that’s our whole typical routine these days.

Oh, by the way, part of the project that I gave my family was on the last day of the lockdown, we would get together again after dinner and ask each one what we have accomplished from the quarantine. I reminded everyone to be ready with one answer. I believe that when you are still that’s when you can create good things.

I told them the story about Isaac Newton in 1665. He was working at the University of Cambridge that temporarily closed due to the Bubonic plague.

And that rest was his most productive period of his life. That was when he developed calculus and gravity. So I am hoping that these rest days can help us figure out something big that we can do in the future, just discovering new things that can be useful. So I’m looking forward to what we can all come up with. I am already doing mine.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)