PART 22: RUBY

April 2020, Melbourne

So, it's been a little while since I recorded an audio diary. Yeah, wow. A lot has changed. The world is a significantly different place from when I started recording these diaries. I like I almost can't believe how different the world is. So yeah, currently, I'm more or less in full lockdown, as is the rest of Australia, because of Coronavirus.

The federal government announced last night that they would be putting bans on gatherings of more than two people that are like not part of your household. So that includes inside and outside. And then the states have been deciding how they're going to, I guess, like police that. In Victoria it’s an on the spot, I think, $1200 fine if you're found gathering with more than one person who does not live in your house. So, I live with my partner, which means obviously we can't have any one over because that exceeds the one-person limit. So yeah, we have been we've been kind of socially distancing for a while now.

I didn't end up working the weekend of Grand Prix. I thought it was too risky. I have a friend staying with me who was immunocompromised. And even though no bands had been put in place yet, like at all, nothing,  I just decided that it wasn't worth the risk of being in really close contact with people. So, I didn't work Grand Prix weekend. And then everything had gotten quite a lot worse by the next weekend and I decided that I wouldn't be going back to work. And then by that weekend the government had closed all the clubs anyway. So, things moved really, really fast from like a big Grand Prix weekend to the next weekend the clubs are shut down. And then now like, I don't know, two weeks later, a week later, or something I don't know, like you literally can’t leave your house, unless you're going to get groceries or going for a run around the block. Which is just like, yeah, just a really weird feeling.

But anyway, I guess how that impacts me in terms of sex work is I'm going to start camming. For a number of reasons, like one to try and get, you know, income, but also to just like stay in touch with my regulars from the club. I am not front facing as a sex worker, so like I'm not out, which means I don't have like an Instagram presence and like, I can't do like Only Fans or something like that. So camming, I just felt like, offered me a little bit more anonymity.

And, I don't know, I'm going to try not to do any nudity on it, if that makes sense. I'm sure there's like experienced cam girls listening to this who are just like, ‘oh my god, like, that's not gonna work’. But like, you know, yeah, cam girls who don't get naked is a thing. So, I'm gonna give it a try. Particularly because I have a bit of an existing customer base and  some regulars who might tune in and hopefully tip. So yeah, it's more gonna be like, tip me to drink a glass of wine or tip me to do a workout or dance or answer a question about myself. So more about like building rapport and companionship.

I think a lot of people are really feeling the social distancing isolation measures at the moment. So hopefully, hopefully, I'll be able to do something with that. I'm really apprehensive about how it's going to go. But my account should be like set up by tomorrow. And I'm hoping I can start by the weekend. But yeah, I'm really nervous about it. As a not out sex worker just like even putting my face on the camming site, even if I'm not naked is just like, like, kind of, I don't know, disconcerting for me. But we've all had to make changes. Life without sex work is not for me. I don't like it. So yeah, anyway, I'll let you know how it goes.