I happened to see a blurb online somewhere about historians suggesting people keep a record of what goes on for them during this unprecedented time in the world. At first I thought, this isn't really that interesting. What I do each day is kind of boring. But I realized my memory of what is actually happening is going to deteriorate sooner rather than later, and someday in the future, I likely would be curious to look back on a record of this. And maybe things will get more interesting (but I hope not!).
The first question that came to mind: "When is Day 1?" I have to label these posts somehow. The day the virus started being in the news? (That would've been back in January and all that was happening in China, so no. This blog will be mostly about what it was like in St. Louis.) The first day schools weren't open? The first day I actually had something cancelled? Then I remembered there was a day here in St. Louis that suddenly everyone knew that they were not going back to school after spring break. The announcements mostly occurred the evening of Thursday, March 12 (at least mine did). So that will be Day 0, the day it confirmed that life would not continue as normal for the foreseeable future, and we'll go from there.
But first, before Day 1.
-2 months: Back in January, the Covid-19 started being in the news every single day, but the novel coronavirus didn't have a name yet at that point. The system of schools I used to work with in China has a school in Wuhan. Though I didn't know anyone at that school, I could only imagine what life was like for them, how everything had suddenly changed. The company that runs those schools was soon offering to evacuate its foreign faculty and staff, and most were taking them up on it. Many of them ended up in South Korea (this was before the number of cases in South Korea escalated), from there trying to get back to the US. One friend, L, ended up going to the Philippines with a friend. Other people I know were already not in China because all this occurred during Chun Jie, the Chinese New Year vacation. Those friends had to figure out how to get back to the US from wherever they were. One friend, A, was vacationing in Turkey and decided to go to France to stay with friends. She had to buy a computer once she arrived in France and immediately start teaching her classes online soon after the New Year vacation ended. She had none of her regular materials with her, and many of her students were stuck somewhere without their regular school materials or textbooks too.
It was at this time that I finally succumbed to buying a subscription to the New York Times online so I could read everyday what was going on with this coronavirus in China (and also because the democratic primaries were starting soon too).
-1 week: With relief, my spring break from university started, where I'm a graduate student in math. I said good-bye to a classmate, indicating to each other that we'd see each other after the break and meet to discuss the next homework assignment.
Days -6 through -4: Mick and I visited an old friend of mine who now lives in Indiana. It was lovely and we were able to also spend time with her parents' and her brother's family who live in the area. One day we went out on a hike in the woods. We mostly ate at home or with her family. One of the main dinner conversation topics was how Covid-19 is starting to affect business travel and what Mick thought and felt about it, being a health care worker. There were many many other topics of conversation as well.
Day -3: A friend came over for tea the Monday of my spring break. We must have talked about COVID-19 a little bit, but I mostly remember talking about many other things. It wasn't the first thing on our minds.
Day -2: I did the things I now had time to do since it was spring break that I should've already done some days or weeks previously. I got an oil change for my car, and I got a haircut. I'm very thankful I made it a point to get these things done! In the evening, I met a friend for coffee. We talked some about Covid-19, but mostly about other things.
I heard from my friend, A, who had been in France, that she was advised to return to China now in order to avoid a quarantine upon returning, since there were more and more cases in Europe. She is flying back this week. Things seem to be on their way to getting back to normal in China, though it sounds like she may still be doing online classes for awhile.
Day -1, Wednesday: I don't think I even left the house. It was my spring break.
Our community group met. One member brought hand sanitizer for everyone that he'd been able to find. It was good to be together.
Day 0, Thursday, March 12: I went to a physical therapy appointment in the morning (shoulder pain, mostly). I had to sign a form that said I hadn't been out of the country in the past 14 days, I hadn't had contact with anyone who had been out of the country in the past 14 days, and I wasn't exhibiting any symptoms (fever, cough). Afterwards, I went on my weekly grocery store trip. A friend from Kansas City was coming to visit for the weekend and I wanted to make sure there was plenty of food in the house and options for us to cook meals. That evening I got the email saying the university would be closed for the foreseeable future and classes would be transitioning to online. Spring break was extended for a week longer, although in the email it also said "this is not an extension of spring break," evidence that even the people writing the email weren't sure how this was all going to work.
The first question that came to mind: "When is Day 1?" I have to label these posts somehow. The day the virus started being in the news? (That would've been back in January and all that was happening in China, so no. This blog will be mostly about what it was like in St. Louis.) The first day schools weren't open? The first day I actually had something cancelled? Then I remembered there was a day here in St. Louis that suddenly everyone knew that they were not going back to school after spring break. The announcements mostly occurred the evening of Thursday, March 12 (at least mine did). So that will be Day 0, the day it confirmed that life would not continue as normal for the foreseeable future, and we'll go from there.
But first, before Day 1.
-2 months: Back in January, the Covid-19 started being in the news every single day, but the novel coronavirus didn't have a name yet at that point. The system of schools I used to work with in China has a school in Wuhan. Though I didn't know anyone at that school, I could only imagine what life was like for them, how everything had suddenly changed. The company that runs those schools was soon offering to evacuate its foreign faculty and staff, and most were taking them up on it. Many of them ended up in South Korea (this was before the number of cases in South Korea escalated), from there trying to get back to the US. One friend, L, ended up going to the Philippines with a friend. Other people I know were already not in China because all this occurred during Chun Jie, the Chinese New Year vacation. Those friends had to figure out how to get back to the US from wherever they were. One friend, A, was vacationing in Turkey and decided to go to France to stay with friends. She had to buy a computer once she arrived in France and immediately start teaching her classes online soon after the New Year vacation ended. She had none of her regular materials with her, and many of her students were stuck somewhere without their regular school materials or textbooks too.
It was at this time that I finally succumbed to buying a subscription to the New York Times online so I could read everyday what was going on with this coronavirus in China (and also because the democratic primaries were starting soon too).
-1 week: With relief, my spring break from university started, where I'm a graduate student in math. I said good-bye to a classmate, indicating to each other that we'd see each other after the break and meet to discuss the next homework assignment.
Days -6 through -4: Mick and I visited an old friend of mine who now lives in Indiana. It was lovely and we were able to also spend time with her parents' and her brother's family who live in the area. One day we went out on a hike in the woods. We mostly ate at home or with her family. One of the main dinner conversation topics was how Covid-19 is starting to affect business travel and what Mick thought and felt about it, being a health care worker. There were many many other topics of conversation as well.
Day -3: A friend came over for tea the Monday of my spring break. We must have talked about COVID-19 a little bit, but I mostly remember talking about many other things. It wasn't the first thing on our minds.
Day -2: I did the things I now had time to do since it was spring break that I should've already done some days or weeks previously. I got an oil change for my car, and I got a haircut. I'm very thankful I made it a point to get these things done! In the evening, I met a friend for coffee. We talked some about Covid-19, but mostly about other things.
I heard from my friend, A, who had been in France, that she was advised to return to China now in order to avoid a quarantine upon returning, since there were more and more cases in Europe. She is flying back this week. Things seem to be on their way to getting back to normal in China, though it sounds like she may still be doing online classes for awhile.
Day -1, Wednesday: I don't think I even left the house. It was my spring break.
Our community group met. One member brought hand sanitizer for everyone that he'd been able to find. It was good to be together.
Day 0, Thursday, March 12: I went to a physical therapy appointment in the morning (shoulder pain, mostly). I had to sign a form that said I hadn't been out of the country in the past 14 days, I hadn't had contact with anyone who had been out of the country in the past 14 days, and I wasn't exhibiting any symptoms (fever, cough). Afterwards, I went on my weekly grocery store trip. A friend from Kansas City was coming to visit for the weekend and I wanted to make sure there was plenty of food in the house and options for us to cook meals. That evening I got the email saying the university would be closed for the foreseeable future and classes would be transitioning to online. Spring break was extended for a week longer, although in the email it also said "this is not an extension of spring break," evidence that even the people writing the email weren't sure how this was all going to work.
No comments:
Post a Comment