STUDENT NAME: Zuya Abro
MY COVID EXPERIENCE: My COVID experience has been up and down. At the beginning, in March of 2020, I was perfectly fine with staying at home most of the time. I had more time to spend with my family, read, cook, and pick up some new hobbies that I had been putting off. It was a great time, but it slowly became isolating and I found myself to be getting bored of my constant routine. Once I started doing my courses online in September, I felt exhausted looking at a screen all day long. My motivation was at an all time low. Even though we could not go out or see friends, I aimed to go on walks around my neighborhood, facetime my friends regularly, and take time for myself. This way I did not feel overwhelmed or isolated in my home during lockdown. As things start to open up, I'm feeling more and more hopeful. Seeing my friends and going out (while being safe) has definitely improved my mood. I'm grateful to be safe during this entire experience, and hope that we can go back to our normal lives soon.
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OBJECT IMAGE A Meal in the Car |
OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND RELATIONSHIP TO COVID-19: : To me, this picture shows how people have had to adjust their lives due to COVID-19 and lockdowns. Here, I had dinner in the car with my friend as restaurants were only allowing take-out. Although a small difference, it was a change in lifestyle as a result of the pandemic. The restaurant was a 30 minute drive from our homes, so we decided it would be better to eat it in the car instead of letting it go cold. While the meal was delicious, eating in the car is definitely not ideal as it is a bit uncomfortable. Since this was a common occurrence for me during this pandemic, I wanted to add this picture as a reminder. This picture will always remind me to be grateful for the little things, like having a nice warm meal seated in a restaurant with friends. |
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PRIMARY SOURCE DESCRIPTION: Through the pandemic, there have been many human rights concerns that have come to light. Even through lockdown, people were protesting to show their support for these serious issues. In the case of the picture shown, the march was for Palestine. Many people from Milton and surrounding towns came to the protest to voice their opinions and bring awareness. The image shows protesters wearing masks, holding signs, and the Palestinian flag. This photo was taken by me in Milton, Ontario on May 14th, 2021. I selected this as my main primary source because I believe it's important for future historians to understand that there were other major issues going on during the COVID-19 pandemic. To give context to this source, one would have to research about the Israel-Palestine conflict. |
PRIMARY SOURCE: A Protest for Palestine in Milton, Ontario |
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NEWSPAPER HEADLINE |
PERSONAL REACTION TO THIS HEADLINE This news article is called "Did Indian Men Do More Housework During Lockdown? It Depends". It is about how men and women, specifically those from India, spend their time at home. Initially, I found this headline amusing. I think it is really interesting to see how both men and women spend their time while being at home most of the day as a result of the lockdown. Due to cultural and societal norms, women are often found doing majority of the household chores while men are considered the breadwinners. This is not limited to India, but is found to be true globally. With the lockdown and having more time on their hands, it seems that men have picked up more housework while working from home. Although, women still spend more time doing the chores. In India, it was found that during the pandemic, women's lesiure time with friends decreased 32% more than the amount men spend. With the burden of having to take on more work at home during lockdown, women are also more isolated from their support systems. After reading this article, I realize that there is a need for change in social norms. |
| VISUALIZING COVID-19 This infographic by Avert.org is advice for the public about what they should do if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. This includes staying at home, maintaining distance from the people you live with, and resting.The information is taken from the World Health Organization. |
COVID Q&A
Describe the moment you realized how serious COVID-19 was:
The moment I realized COVID-19 was serious is when it reached my community, Milton, Ontario. Soon after this, one of my friends had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. Luckily, she has recovered fully. Even though the news on television and newspapers were describing how serious this issue was daily, it felt very real when it was affecting the people I knew personally. I always took COVID-19 precautions seriously, however, I felt terrified of the uncertainty this pandemic brought. My mother, who is an essential worker, was going to work throughout the pandemic. I was always worried about her going to work and being around many people. I feel safer knowing we are all vaccinated now.
What did you learn about yourself or the people you live with during COVID-19?
During this pandemic, I have learned that I depend a lot on going out and exploring new things to keep my mental health in check. Staying inside for most of the day is not ideal for me, as it makes me feel unmotivated and unhappy. As for the people I live with, which includes my two siblings and parents, I learnt that they can cope much better than me with being inside. Their positivity helped me to remain as optimistic as possible. We would watch new movies, cook together, go on hikes, and support eachother. This pandemic has definitely brought us closer together, which I am very grateful for.
Other than wearing a mask, what was the biggest change you made to your daily life? Do you think this change will remain when all lockdowns are lifted?
The biggest change that I made to my daily life was shopping online for all of my needs. I realized that I do not enjoy in-person shopping as much, since it usually takes me hours to find what I need. I also get tired and have headaches from walking around the mall, especially when crowded with people. Now, I can quickly and easily find what I'm looking for through various online stores. I believe this change will remain once lockdowns are completely lifted. It does have it's cons; I'm unable to try clothes on and I'm not sure how things will look in person. Yet, I would still say the benefits outweigh the disadvantages for me. I spend less time shopping and have a larger variety of options to choose from. This has definitely been a postive change for me.
Have you learned any new skills during the pandemic?
Before the pandemic, my mother would always ask if I wanted to learn some of the dishes she makes, and being at home with more time allowed me take her up on the offer. I have learnt to make many tasty meals, and it is much more rewarding eating the food I make myself. I spend less when I cook at home, eat much healthier, and feel happier because of it. I enjoy learning how to make new meals using online recipes as well. I believe this is a skill that everyone should learn, and I will use it throughout my life. I'm grateful for my mother who took the time to teach me!
How do you feel about university education in the last year?
In the last year, my university education experience has been enjoyable but also tiring. I enjoyed being able to complete all of my courses online; everything was very accessible. I also liked that I could be around my family while I completed my work, and I always had their support. Although, eventually having everything be online became exhausting. I didn't enjoy being on my laptop all day for classes and completing work. I felt burnt out as the semester progressed. I'm glad, however, that I got to experience learning this way. I have really learnt how to be organized and manage my time, so the experience was not all bad. I'm hoping that we can have in-person classes soon!
List one positive thing and one negative thing you'll take away from 2020:
One positive thing I have taken away from 2020 is how close I have become with my family. Throughout this pandemic we have gotten closer, and I have grown to be more open with them. In a way, I didn't really have a choice as I was with them 24/7 due to the lockdown. I'm grateful for them, however, as they have supported me and given me advice during days where I felt upset or unmotivated. Even when things go back to normal, I hope we can spend just as much time together. One negative thing I will take away is how much time I have spent looking at a screen. It makes my dry eyes much worse, and mentally drains me if I'm on my laptop for most of the day doing work. I know that it is best to take breaks from technology every so often as it's good for my mental health.
What is the best movie or TV show you've watched, or the best book you've read, in the past 18 months?
In this pandemic I have picked up a lot of new books! The best book I have read recently is called Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. A friend had recommended it to me, and I'm so glad they did! I will definitely start reading more novels by this author. His work has been described as "a warm bath", and I couldn't agree more!
How large of an impact do you think COVID-19 has had on your mental health?
My mental health, truthfully, has taken a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has stressed me out and made me upset at many different times throughout. In lockdown, I felt isolated being inside most days. Like most people, I did not see my friends and only went out when neccessary. This did take a toll on my mental health. I have talked to many people in my life about their experience in lockdown, and they said the same. Though, there are ways to stay mentally well even in lockdown. I have learned to take care of myself and relax, which is really important to avoid burnout. I'm glad that my mental health has been improving ever since I started eating healthier, staying fit, and surrounding myself with positive people.
How has technology impacted your life during lockdown?
Technology has it's pros and cons. During lockdown, it has been very useful for completing my courses, connecting with friends and family, and is great for accessing information easily. Since I was home for most of the day, my screentime use increased drastically. I would do my work, watch shows, read, talk to friends, etc. using my phone or laptop. As I have mentioned previously, it is taxing on my mental wellbeing. I think having a balance between the amount of time you use technology is important as it can really impact your mood and health. I make sure to put down my technology when I don't need to be on it. Going out in nature or just being completely present with family without the distraction of a phone has made me happier and less stressed.
How has the pandemic brought wider acknowledgement to systemic racism in Canada?
Canada has deep systemic issues which have only been magnified as a result of the pandemic. Indigenous people have faced various institutional inequalities in Canada, and these concerns are still seen today. A major problem that has been brought to light during the pandemic is the racism they face in the healthcare system, especially the treatment Indigenous women recieve. There are one too many cases of Indigenous people dying in the hospital when it could have been preventable. In one case, this woman died after being taunted by healthcare workers when she was sick in the hospital. This is not acceptable, and nobody should ever be treated this way, especially when they are ill and in need of support. There needs to be more done by the Canadian government so that these issues are solved.
In what ways do you envision society changing due to the pandemic?
I can see society changing in several ways due to the pandemic. One major shift I can envision are jobs going completely remote, especially tech positions. Since working from home has been convenient for many people, including both the employers and employees, it may be ideal for this change to happen. There is no commute, jobs can be done by people anywhere on a laptop, and there is no need to rent out office spaces. It can also be beneficial for people who want to be with their family for most of the day. These are just a few examples of how time and money are saved if jobs are done remotely. Another shift I can envision is people being more distant from others in public spaces. I enjoy having my personal space respected, regardless of COVID-19 measures.
Now that you are done with both the course and your additions to the archive, is there anything you'd like to reflect on?
This course has certainly taught me a lot about COVID-19 and pandemics in general. There are a lot of similarities between the pandemics we have learnt about which was interesting to see, for example, there are "believers" and "non-believers" of the virus. I am also a lot more aware about how I feel and what I have done throughout this pandemic. Reflecting on my experiences in 2020 was interesting; I did a lot more than I thought I had in lockdown. I am thankful to have this opportunity to share my thoughts and have them archived here! It will be great to take a look at this in the future, and it will be fascinating to see if I feel differently about my whole COVID-19 experience.
Gallery
Other archival items connected to my experience of COVID-19. Click on any image to enlarge.
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