Christina Thé - Diary of a Former Covidiot

Global praise for Diary of a Former Covidiot

Witty, clever and addictive, I recognised myself and others in the hilarious stories Christina Th brings us in Diary of a Former Covidiot! A timely, light-hearted record of crazy behaviour against the backdrop of a pandemic that has rocked the world in our lifetime.

Christina Th brings the reader stories from her own world in Singapore, introducing hilarious characters doing crazy things. We will recognise Covidiot behaviour in ourselves and those around us whilst trying to survive the pandemic, making us nod along and laugh out loud.

Whilst acknowledging the grief that COVID-19 has caused many, Christina seeks to offer some light relief from the situation, recording this new, strange way of life.

This book is a timely page turner and makes a great gift that can be dipped into over again. Read it and share it will bring a much needed laugh to many!

Eleanor OConnor

Penguin Random House Publishing, UK

Funny as hell. Its comedy gold. Thoroughly entertaining from first to last page. Christina Th wittily takes the reader on the roller coaster ride that is the pandemic, from a satirical and comically honest perspective. Pages are filled with light-hearted humour and satisfying laugh-out-loud moments. I really enjoyed this book!

Clarissa Santoso

PhD Student, USA

FF'rickin hilarious and screenplay-worthy! You ROCK, The Christina Th!

Ben Chan

Executive Producer, Red Compass Media, Inc., USA

Finally a book not only so relatable but a massive comic relief that reflects the environment we live in BC/DC (Before COVID/ During COVID). Its a fly-on-a-wall moment! Thank you, its a godsend for my self-care and mental well-being reading this book while sipping G&T.

Ethel Reyes

Medical Scientist, Australia

This should be standup comedy material.

Andre Surya

Civil Engineer, Indonesia

Very funny. Especially the chapter, About Hair. The big hair episode with her aunts amused me very much! A nice glimpse of how contrasting cultures react to the same situation, the pandemic. Light hearted and presented in a very fun way, Christinas way :)

Jeong Ae Ree

Artistic Director of New Opera Singapore

A brilliant storyteller.

Shanti Bhattacharya

Heritage Guide, Singapore

What an amazing sense of humour! Hilarious and funny insight into peoples behavior clever observation into life in the supermarket jungle! To me the most touching part of the book is when the sisters say they love each other (in the story, Motherhood is the greatest job youll ever fxxx up). So simple but huge impact. Well done.

Peter Ng

Entrepeneur, Simgapore

Extremely entertaining and relaxing to read! I am a senior European lady, yet I still find the stories very engaging. This optimistic book is a breath of fresh air. It is just what we all need right now!

J.N.

Retired Principal Mezzo-Soprano of Opera Australia

Very witty. I like it a lot, especially the part with the aunts doing their hair. I can clearly picture them!

Christina Hindle

Fellow Mum, Austria

Witty and original! Love it! And, LMAO... the plot twists!

Alfani Cahya

Fulltime Mum of Two, Indonesia

2020 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited

Published by Marshall Cavendish Editions

An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: (65) 6213 9300. E-mail:

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National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data

Name(s): Th, Christina.

Title: Diary of a former covidiot : tales of panic buying, surviving and finding humour during the coronavirus pandemic / Christina Th.Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, [2020]

Identifier(s): OCN 1158579586 | e-ISBN: 978 981 4893 97 8

Subject(s): LCSH: COVID-19 (Disease)--Social aspects--Fiction. | Epidemics--Fiction.

Classification: DDC S823--dc23

Printed in Singapore

Publisher's Note: All characters and incidents mentioned in this book are fictional and based entirely on the author's imagination. Any similarities to persons, dead or alive, are coincidental.

For Felix Cheong

Writer, Mentor, Friend and Covidol

A COVIDIOTS COMMANDMENTS

Thou Shall Not Be A Covidiot.

Thou Shall Not Covid Thy Neighbour.

Thou Shall Stay At Home.

COVIDIOT [Noun, informal]

Definitions and synonyms

Someone who continues to go out and socialise
despite being told repeatedly to stay at home;

A person who hoards goods (especially toilet paper,
masks and sanitisers), denying them from their neighbours;

A person who does not observe social distancing;

Someone who does not wear a mask when outside
or in contact with the general public;

Someone who goes immediately to the supermarket
in anticipation of the Prime Ministers address;

Someone who ill-treats or evicts front-line
medical heroes out of their rental properties,
or park at doctors and nurses parking lots in hospitals.

Someone who touches others without sanitising their hands,
or simply, touches or hugs others in this day and age.

When the storm breaks, each man acts in accordance with his own nature. Some are dumb with terror. Some flee. Some hide. And some...

spread their wings like eagles and soar on the wind.

Dr John Dee (15271608), mathematician.