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Opinion We survived lockdown in China, you too can get through this Covid-19 crisis

Greg McDonough and his wife and son have been on lockdown near Wuhan for weeks.

HELLO AGAIN FROM a chirpier China, where things have levelled off considerably.

I have been asked to write this new piece for TheJournal.ie, but this time the focus is different, it’s about you, at home in Ireland. You won’t be reading my account from China and thinking it sounds like an alien situation.

This time around, you know what it’s like. Hopefully, though, I can share some tips here on how to get through a Covid-19 crisis, which sadly, desperately, Ireland is now in the midst of.

86289497_187264035961576_578878496768524288_n Greg, his wife and son have been living under lockdown for several weeks.

If you’ve been in this column before, you’ll have read how myself, my wife Wang Xuan, and our son Joseph were surviving the coronavirus lockdown in China. One minute, we were sunning it up on the tropical island of Sanya, off the south China coast, and in a heartbeat, everything changed.

We returned to our home in Hefei, a city in Anhui Province, near Wuhan, for a few days before heading to her parents’ home in a small town nearby for a break around the Spring Festival. We’ve been here ever since, around two months now.

To be clear, we’ve been on total lockdown. That means no unnecessary journeys, only vital trips to the shop, or a daily walk outside. I know you’re not there, yet, and at least you can get out and about, but maybe you can be helped by some suggestions from this side of the world.

Here’s your survival tool guide

The following is just an account of what we did to get through. I am no expert, just someone who has experienced this thing ahead of you. Here in China, there are 1.4 billion people who could give similar advice, but you’re all stuck with the ramblings of a now half-deranged son of the Kingdom.

I’ve had a few questions from my friends at home about things like going out. We did leave the apartment, once a day, for a family walk, but stayed within the housing compound. To stop any spread of infection, we had a set of porch clothes, shoes, coats and gloves, which would stay in the porch and would not be brought into the house. When we would come back home, we’d switch to the house clothes and give a quick wash to anything that may have come in contact with other garments. That’s just what we did. Even psychologically, it helped us to feel like we were in control of any spread.

If you buy something in a shop, be careful with cash. I hear many shops in Ireland are not accepting cash anymore, which is great. I haven’t used cash in seven weeks, we do everything by scanning Alipay or Wechat. Cards are better, but be wary of the keypad if putting in a PIN. I saw a guy on YouTube in the US spraying his notes with disinfectant, then microwaving them! A step too far, I think. Better off avoiding cash altogether.

86439231_589327168314788_2433622602711826432_n Streets have been deserted where Greg and family are staying in China.

Another tip is to check social media and find out where other people are going, then avoid it and instead go to the less populated areas. It seems as if this was an issue at home on Sunday for Mother’s Day, everyone going the same way. That’s a bad idea. We built the habit of going out after sunset, as our neighbours are early birds. That meant that when we did encounter others we just swerved away, as they did, too, with no offence taken.

For masks, and again this is anecdotal, I’m not a scientist, but the grapevine in China told us that the fabric ones were only slightly effective and then only for a short time. Some people wore them consistently, others not a all. N95 masks were seen to be best and were in short supply. After wearing one every day when out, I changed tack and never wore one until I was actually entering a place of business, usually the pharmacy or supermarket.

Best rule? Stay indoors

Staying indoors is the best thing you can do now for your family, your loved ones and the health of society. I’ve been outside this housing complex four times in 47 days, for a sum total of maybe three hours, each time for shopping, each time less than an hour.

Just about everyone I know in China has a similar tale to tell, and it worked. I’m not sure how well it will play out in the West, which has a different social structure. I’ve seen some horror shows in the US, in relation to gatherings, which from this vantage point is just terrifying. In my view, Cheltenham going ahead was a serious error of judgement, but now people are getting serious there, which is a relief.

84180475_1334884630053585_9114060837089181696_n Greg, in a deserted city.

If you make a 100% effort, over 50 days, it might work, and Covid-19 will pass. Anything half-hearted, and you may as well not bother. You will get used to it and it will pass, and there are positives, strangely. I feel healthier, lighter, and my liver is enjoying its first break for 35 years.

I’m lucky enough to still be getting paid for doing remote work, I should be 1,000km to the north teaching, but I’m here with my family. I don’t need to use China Eastern Airlines every week and we’re spending very little and getting some quality family time. There’s always a silver lining, just sometimes it’s more difficult to spot.

Random observations

There are other habits we formed based on what we were reading online at the time. We get a lot of deliveries here, and you probably will too in the coming weeks. We developed the habit of removing the outer packing and leaving it in the porch. It helped us feel we had a bit of distance between everyone in the home and any infection.

Get lots of exercise, even if it’s just walking around the back garden. It’s vital for your well-being. Sleep, and good solid sleep is a necessity. Nobody that I know of in China hoarded, and we were never short of supplies because people remained sensible. Think of it this way, if Jack buys all the hand gels, and no one else in town has a hand gel, then everyone Jack meets can infect Jack. Don’t be like Jack, Jack is an idiot. Some things will run short, like imports, but there will always be enough if you are considerate.

Use social media, but don’t overuse it. I have been involved in a group for my hometown in Kerry for a few days now and the community spirit is remarkable. They truly are amazing people in the Kingdom, the spirit and generosity is flowing, and it’s really heartening.

Humans just need a channel, and social media is it for now. Someone posted in the Kerry chat recently the information on where people can get free printouts needed for making claims, for example, a big help to the community.

Another lad made his adapted car available free of charge to those in wheelchairs. Everyone knows what is open and closed, people are buying shopping for elderly neighbours. Such groups are easy to set up and can do a power of good. Again, this is not science, this is just me. Maybe it’ll help you get through this, and I hope it does.

This week, our lockdown was lifted.

Respect it.

It works.

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    Mute dB O'Neill
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:17 PM

    63 grand… wow, should have gone to college

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    Mute D'oh
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:22 PM

    @dB O’Neill: And he’s only a jnr doc.

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:22 PM

    @dB O’Neill: You mean…should have done Medicine. Of course now you would have around a 1 in 4 chance of getting COVID-19

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    Mute Glangan
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:42 PM

    @D’oh: she

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    Mute Ian McBride
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:57 PM

    @dB O’Neill: You woukd also have needed to get excellent leaving cert and HPAT results, completed a what some might describe as a challenging 5 or 6 year degree, completed an intern year in which is the start of regularly working 60 hours weeks and at times 80 hour, then at leat 2 years as a SHO, during which in your free time you are completing mandatory exams with failure rates approaching 50% which cost several hundred euro a pop to sit. Also in your free time you are expected to complete audits and research to build up your CV to give you a chance to get on a highly comletetive specialist training program, which judging by this person salary she has just started. These training programs have far more applicants than spots, so it is not unusual for people to have to reapply multiple years in a row to finally get on. In addition to all this they are working in an under resourced service making life saving decisions regularly while sleep deprived and hungry. And now they are facing a world altering pandemic that is at our doorstep. You could always consider giving graduate medicine a go if you feel like it.

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:03 PM

    @Ian McBride: You could do just 1 year as an SHO and become a Registrar…just saying

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:28 PM

    @dB O’Neill: well it’s the overtime number that will boost the number

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    Mute D'oh
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:30 PM

    @Glangan: Apologies, I didn’t read the article, I just LOVE commenting. :-)

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    Mute Fabio Dillon
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:34 PM

    @dB O’Neill: going to college and doing medicine are not the same thing.

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    Mute Fabio Dillon
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:35 PM

    @D’oh: only? So what? Deserves even more than 63k.

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    Mute Kem Trayle
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 10:08 PM

    @Bountyop: 1 in 4 infected people are medics, not 1 in 4 medics are infected. This is how crap info spreads.

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    Mute Emma
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 11:05 PM

    @D’oh: she.

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    Mute James Gorman #FBPE
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 12:12 AM

    @dB O’Neill: it’s 83k gross with the overtime judging by the net pay

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    Mute paul kelly
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 8:07 AM

    @dB O’Neill: You could try for graduate entry, take 100-150k loan , go back to college, quit work for 4 years, work 16 hour days – pass your exams ,then pay back 1000-2000 a month for 10 years.

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 10:06 AM

    @Kem Trayle: Fair enough, I’ll retract my previous comment. Let’s say you’re at higher risk then…

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 10:07 AM

    @Kem Trayle: A sobering thought is one medic a day is dying in Italy now…

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    Mute Bryan Moore
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:26 PM

    To get 4400 net a month on that salary their OT would need to be able least 1600 pm before tax

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    Mute Who cares?
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:38 PM

    @Bryan Moore: yes, that net pay figure is a bit suspicious, that works out at about €6750 gross a month

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    Mute Seagoat returns
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:43 PM

    @Who cares?: For your name you really do care. deserves every penny. People coming out of college with business degrees and on 100k by 28 in the private sector serving nobody but a multinational and profits. Hospital Doctors are very underappreciated and there salary is not near reflective of what they should receive across the economy.

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    Mute Who cares?
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:49 PM

    @Seagoat returns: calm down there Goat! Not putting down a doctors role!
    All I’m saying is the figure seems odd for net, I can’t get that net take home pay and my salary is higher!

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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 9:53 AM

    @Seagoat returns: 100k after four years on a business degree. Eh … No that’s far far from average. Be doing well to be on half that.

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    Mute RampantMisanthropy
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:39 PM

    Her net salary looks totally wrong. Is she including piles of overtime in her calculation?

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    Mute Natalka Mayo
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:16 PM

    So they had time to fill this out during a week when our healthcare system is in meltdown over cv19?

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    Mute Allypally
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:18 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: so salty

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    Mute CC
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:18 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: Well they did say one of the days they didn’t get home until 8pm due to the tractor protest, so I presume this was well before Coronavirus ever came into Ireland as that tractor protest was a good while ago.

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    Mute Paula Leavy
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:25 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: she mentions the tractor protest so I’m pretty sure this diary was before Christmas. But please continue being a begrudger. I’d imagine she works a hell of a lot more hours than the average worker.

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    Mute Wishywashy
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:26 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: how simple are you ffs?

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    Mute Natalka Mayo
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:28 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: clearly I didn’t read the article but great to see all the best coming out of people in the responses with the name calling etc

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    Mute Tim Tom
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:33 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: Maybe don’t comment smartly until you read the article in full then, what do you expect. That’s the problem with too many people on The Journal, far too quick to get to the comments section before actually reading the article.

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    Mute Natalka Mayo
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:39 PM

    I found it odd that it was a junior doctor this week considering what’s going on. God forbid I didn’t read the article and went straight to the comments. I wouldn’t be the first and I won’t be the last considering most of these don’t make sense so I jumped to the assumption that perhaps it was fake. My bad.

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    Mute Paula Leavy
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:59 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: I find it odd someone would comment giving out about a person completing a diary without even reading it first. Says everything anyone needs to know about you.

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    Mute Tim Tom
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:01 PM

    @Natalka Mayo: Maybe because the health profession is very relevant currently and it gives an insight into their lives prior to this outbreak. One can only imagine how hectic their week is at the moment. Also, god forbid they actually take a half an hour out of their own time to carry out this interview. Would you actually condemn them for that!? The articles might make a bit more sense if you read them in full.

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    Mute Lisa Marie
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 7:49 AM

    @Natalka Mayo: No she mentioned the tractor protest.. that was weeks ago before Covid-19 became an issue.

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    Mute Natalka Mayo
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 11:02 AM

    @Paula Leavy: “says everything everyone needs to know about you”
    Really? Are you always this unforgiving and dismissive Paula? So according to you I’m a begrudger and I deserve to be dismissed cos I commented on an article without reading it. It would seem I’m not the only one who jumps to conclusion because not for a second was I begrudging this person yet you assumed I was and accused me of such. I shouldn’t be surprised though because one look at your twitter shows how you’re super quick to point the finger and condemn people. You’d wanna get down off your high horse there

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    Mute Niamh Lyons
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:47 PM

    How does she earn a thousand more than me and I earn 10K more ???

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    Mute Andy O'Reilly
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 10:47 PM

    @Niamh Lyons: if you’re on nearly €75 k with take home of €3400. You need to have words with HR.

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    Mute Seagoat returns
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 11:17 PM

    @Niamh Lyons: possibly overtime

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    Mute Walt Kowalski
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 11:59 PM

    @Niamh Lyons: has been dying for an opportunity to tell the world her salary

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:18 PM

    63k before tax?

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    Mute Seagoat returns
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:44 PM

    @thesaltyurchin: it’s gross not including OT. Well deserved

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    Mute Who cares?
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:51 PM

    @Seagoat returns: will you calm it! Jumping down people’s throats because they are trying to figure out how she gets that net pay! And fair play to her!

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    Mute Barney's sister
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 11:59 PM

    It would benefit the grocery shoppers if all banks reconsidered the card tapping facility and increased the limit from €30 to€50 for a period of time, most oldies doing a weekly shop would be glad to not have to interact with the debit machines as far as possible.

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    Mute Joe Kennedy
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 7:42 AM

    @Barney’s sister: they have done exactly that I think…..tapped for a €38 bill yesterday evening.

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    Mute Sharp Elsi Mate
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 9:25 AM

    110 quid a month in tolls on top of car tax is just wrong

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    Mute Robin A Richardson
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 11:57 PM

    €500/month for a car? Is that reasonable?

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    Mute Waj Kahn
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:29 PM

    That’s excellent money and he is still moaning.

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:04 PM

    @Waj Kahn: We have to work 60-90 hours per week. Work 1 in 3 weekends. Work weeks of nights. Study for exams that we have to pay for. Study for masters that we have to pay for. Do research projects in our already miniscule spare time that has potential to ammount to nothing. Also have to do all this until age 35. Have to have a PhD these days to become a consultant. Have to move every year to a different hospital. And on top of that we have one of the most stressful jobs on the planet.

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    Mute paddy
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 9:10 PM

    @Waj Kahn: read ‘this is going to hurt’ by Adam kay and then talk to me about doctors moaning!

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    Mute mary grace
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 10:57 PM

    @Waj Kahn: where did they moan? Are we assuming it’s a “he” cos it’s a doctor
    ..I did speed read it as it was boring me so they might indeed have been gender specific.

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    Mute Seagoat returns
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 11:16 PM

    @Waj Kahn: fool

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    Mute Katherine Murray
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 1:11 AM

    @Winston Smith: get over it your education will always stand to you and create wealth for you and your children what do you expect at 35 a miracle ??

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    Mute huzar
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 7:34 AM

    @Katherine Murray: little do you know

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 8:08 AM

    @Waj Kahn: Also not to mention, we very rarely get more than 1 weeks annual leave off in a row. We very often don’t get to take off full annual leave weeks. Can’t enjoy leave as you’re stressed about leaving the team down a member.

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    Mute Lukevic101
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 8:22 AM

    So income of 4400 and expenses of 2424 per month, nets 1976 per month. I reckon the OT is down as gross. Even still only saving 900 per month between them? Wheres the other 1526 going? Is that rent each of 1000 or 500 each? Personally I think she should do her budget on her set net income of 63k, omitting overtime, as this can vary month to month. I dont work for revolut (as I’ve mentioned it a few times in the past) but get a card and transfer a set amount in each month that you can live on. And let bills come from main current account. It’s an easier way to save cash I find anyway.

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    Mute Bryan Moore
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 8:28 PM

    *atleast

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    Mute Pranab Vasudeva
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    Mar 22nd 2020, 10:38 PM

    Crap stories

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    Mute danny
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    Mar 23rd 2020, 4:56 AM

    @Pranab Vasudeva: I suggest not reading them then

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    Mute J J
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    Mar 24th 2020, 6:45 AM

    The figures are most unclear.
    To earn €1,100 net per week you would need to be on €110k per year.
    It appears that this is the base salary plus overtime is in addition to €110k.
    Rent at €1000 each is a rip off.

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