Covid-19 Journal #2

4.13.20: Q6: Instead of eating old favorites, my family has been trying more new recipes than before. My dad, the cook of the family, seems to use these new dinners as a way to differentiate the days of the week, and have something to look forward to. Also, we have been eating a lot more vegetable and fish based dinners, with less meat overall. We’ve all thrown the idea of going pescatarian as a family, so maybe by the time quarantine is over, my eating habit will be completely different. Today, my dad made portabella mushrooms with tomatoes and goat cheese, and it was to die for. The mushrooms were incredible because they are a very meaty vegetable, so they created a very filling dinner, and or substitution for meat. I am looking forward to trying more new meals, and hopefully joining in on some of the cooking.

4.15.20: Q19: What impact is technology having on your daily life? Is this different than usual? After enduring remote learning for only three weeks, I can say that I do feel the effects of using technology 24/7. Compared to regular school, it seems my usage is up 200%, as now I tend to use it for everything from notes and quizzes. The two things I’ve noticed so far have affected my physical well-being, which surprised me. Firstly, I’ve recognized that by the end of every day, my eyes feel shot and insanely exhausted. They feel kinda scratchy and dry. Secondly, my body feels exhausted after I end each individual zoom call. On blue days my schedule is jam packed, all my classes require participation so I have to be ready at all times. I think I get unconsciously worked up during class, because by the time I leave the meeting my body is slightly shaking. It goes away really quickly though, and it’s happening less, so it’s all good. From that to my eyes, I definitely see the effects of using technology, but I also notice that my body has adjusted immensely since the begging of remote learning. I feel much less overwhelmed, and enjoy having a routine to my days. Although I swear everyday either feels like a Monday or a Friday...

4.16.20: Q4: What did you do for fun today? A birthday in quarantine… sounds kind of disappointing to me. But today, it was my friend’s mom’s birthday, along with my 25 year old cousin’s birthday, and both families found a way to make it fun. Because both having a birthday party, or stopping by for a birthday hug are both out of the question, we resorted to the infamous app of the past month. Zoom. I will say, the first birthday zoom was a bit awkward as there were so many voices overlapping, and lots of motion happening all at once. That being said, it was fun to see many faces I don’t get to see regularly, and have a fun new way to give birthday wishes. Then, later in the evening I got to do the same for my cousin. For that zoom meetup it was a much smaller group of people, so the interaction was much smoother. We all ended up spending at least thirty minutes talking and introducing ourselves to the group, because many of us had never met. In that regard, I found the experience to be extremely enjoyable because it brought out one positive of this current situation. For both people, if it weren’t for our current situation, I don’t think they would have received more than a quick text at most. So, despite being pulled away from people I see regularly, in turn I have gotten to connect more with people I see only a few times a year.