To help support the community at this time, The Tokyo Life has reached out to friends to get COVID-19 stories from around the world. In these updates, we hope to bring our readers the raw experiences of people in different countries and share how their communities are handling the abrupt changes to daily life.
*Check out last week’s submissions here.
Steve Jobs – Tia (Canada)
This week I enjoyed 100% pure unadulterated free time! I read, slept, shopped, and of course, took lots of naps; it was great! I will say that it was a big change from the first vacation I had because at least this time I was able to spend more time out and about.
This week was also a time to really take a look into the lives of some of my friends who are out of work due to COVID, since I was able to see a lot of friends that I hadn’t in a while. It made me very happy to know that others were also trying to reach out and reform the habits of hanging out and we were still able to respect one another’s boundaries. I felt a semblance of normalcy that I hadn’t felt in a while. I do understand that I am personally not 100% on board with things like public transit or eating on a restaurant patio, but I have been able to safely meet more of my friends and really see the world as less of a stifling hellscape and more of a slightly uncomfortable turtleneck.
Plans for Safety – Shannon McCarron (United States)
This week I finally got news about how we are planning to start the school year in September. There are still a lot of uncertainties, but I feel much better knowing there is a plan. First, we will only open the school building four days a week and have all online classes on Wednesdays. Class sizes will be reduced to a maximum of 11 students per classroom (the previous maximum was 18). In addition, the students will be separated into four cohorts. Two of these groups will attend school in-person twice a week (on alternate days). The third group, which is made up of high-risk students, will attend school in person 4 times per week. The last group will only attend classes online. This fourth group may have been created for students and families with health concerns, or for those who will have trouble commuting to school with this new irregular schedule.
We also have plans to keep people safe inside the building, including PPE, desk shields, and other safety measures. The most interesting part of the plan for me was that we will not be starting in-person classes until October, one month after the school year officially begins with online teaching. This makes me suspect that we are anticipating the infection rate will reach 3% before October, meaning all New York City schools, including our charter school, will have to close. Of course, I do not hope for the infection rate to rise, but I also worry about the safety of returning to school, even with these measures in place. Only time will tell.
The New Normal – T.H. (Australia)
Another week down and another terrible week for Victorians. Yet again the state has seen large numbers of new cases of COVID-19 as well as a record number of deaths, including a man in his late 20’s.
Restrictions do not seem to be easing anytime soon, nor do the other states in Australia look like they’ll be reopening borders to Victoria.
Here in South Australia, we have seen a week with no new cases recorded. We have also opened several new testing stations around the state with people lining up in their cars for hours on end just to get tested.
We had a brief period where panicked shoppers, again, stocked up on essentials such as meat, pasta & hand sanitiser, but thankfully the majority of the population continue to do the right thing and just purchase what they need. We remain in stage three of lifted restrictions, most of which have now become the normal way of life.
Porte du masque obligatoire (Mask Wear Required) – Meagan McCarron (France)
In typical French fashion, we’ve added new rules to our COVID-19 gestes barrières (barrier gestures/things we do to stop the virus). While masks had been obligatory on public transit and in indoor spaces such as supermarkets, bars, and the like, outdoor spaces were generally a free-for-all. But since Monday the 10th, pedestrians over the age of 11 have been ordered to wear masks in heavily frequented public areas, including individuals practicing sports in these areas. The rule is set for next month, but if it’s anything like our initial lockdown order, we can expect it to be extended a few times over.
A new list of where masks are now required has been released as recently as Saturday the 15th, and signs can be seen even in some of the outer reaches of Paris warning of a 135€ fine if you’re caught without a mask. But so far, my friends and I have failed to see anyone get stopped or fined for not wearing a mask in one of these zones. So who’s to blame? The police for not enforcing? People for not listening in the first place? And what will it take for us to finally get the message that COVID-19, unlike our summer tans, is here to stay?
Stay Smart – Christopher Temporelli (South Korea)
Here in South Korea, I think we have all been feeling much more at ease with the COVID situation, especially with the number of new cases recently having been relatively low. For the last month, new cases have usually been around or below 30 per day, as a rough average. However, on August 16th, for instance, there was a report of around 279 new cases, which is quite a jump.
For me, it seems that even though we all might want to feel the situation is fully stabilized, it’s important to remember that one of the reasons we have been lucky with the number of cases—at least in part—is that people have been following restrictions and showing care in general. I understand that around the world, we would like to have this time behind us, but apparently, we are not out of the woods yet—and staying smart is still in order.
Christopher Temporelli is a musician, educator, host, business entrepreneur, media personality and master life coach. www.christophertemporelli.com www.apollonatur.com
3 Biggest COVID-19 Challenges – Yoko Furusaki (Ethiopia)
In the past two weeks of writing these submissions, I decided to reflect on three of my greatest challenges and three positive effects brought about by this pandemic so far. First, I would like to reflect on the challenges.
The biggest challenge has been travel restrictions. So far, Ethiopia hasn’t gone into lockdown, so I have been able to travel freely within my town. However, travelling to the capital or back to Japan is unrealistic with the quarantine rules. This is about the time of the year when I prepare for my annual trip to Japan, making up lists of things to buy, people to meet, and food to eat while I’m there. How I miss white rice with raw eggs, sushi, eel, and noodles! Although I know I will not be travelling this year, I sometimes catch myself googling restaurants in Japan. Of course, there is also the inconvenience of not being able to get some things in the town where I live.
The second biggest challenge is the call for self-management in remote work. Home is nice but has too many distractions, and I am afraid I have become less productive. I know I was supposed to have learned to manage myself while I was still in school, but I never did. Now, Covid-19 is belatedly forcing me to work on this skill. I wonder if I will ever succeed, but I guess I have no choice but to try.
The third biggest challenge is the cumbersome efforts required to keep my house free of the virus. I have no problem with frequent hand washing and gargling, but I feel lazy when it comes to things like immediately changing into room wear or wiping down my laptop and smartphone with alcohol when I get home. (Showering more than once a day is unrealistic due to the water shortage.) I was raised by a mother who insisted I immediately change into room wear upon returning home, but this didn’t stick with me. I hope to finally make it a habit so that I no longer feel lazy about doing it and keep my home virus-free.
Even 5 months after Covid-19 came to Ethiopia, I am still not completely used to the situation. Since the first wave of the Covid-19 infection has not yet peaked in Ethiopia, I know I will have to live with these challenges for quite some time. However, the effects of the pandemic brought have not all been negative. I will write about the positive impacts in my next post.
What’s the situation like in your home? Have you checked on your friends and family lately? Share your experiences with us down in the comments below!
Featured image by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
