“The uncertainty of the situation is troubling. I have also in general become more lax in handling my schoolwork, spending most of the day in bed watching series and having daydreams. […] This has also weirdly enough been a time for reflection and self-discovery…”
“I had a pharmacology test on that Monday which I had spent my entire weekend trying to memorise the different Antimuscarinic drugs and other complex words in pharmacology. This meant that the test was pushed which was good for me. I had more time to study. However after 1 month of staying at home I was no longer relieved…”
“It’s odd, though, as the days roll by with sunshine, the full arrival of Spring, and a seeming “normalcy” except for quieter streets and sidewalks not to occasionally be struck hard with a sense that some dark beast is silently slouching our way–that this seeming normalcy is utterly superficial and spurious, a fool’s paradise, and that all over the country and around the world something truly dark and terrible is occurring.”
“…It is difficult coming to terms with the realization that the world I knew has significantly changed. I remember hearing my grandmother talk about about the changes in her life brought about by the influenza epidemic in 1918. I’ll try to learn as much as I can while undergoing this experience so I will have something to relate to my future grandchildren.”
“…I was able to continue my exercise class three times a week via ZOOM. I’m a voracious reader and quickly ran out of books. I’ve spent a few hundred dollars buying books and even got my husband reading instead of watching tv. After my projects I kind of spiraled spiritually and felt anxious and depressed…”
“The pandemic drove our family closer physically and emotionally. Online especially through Zoom, I’m connected to larger communities and working on making our voice heard. I’m reading and writing more, and feel the pandemic will shape the near future to be more reactive and reflective for the general global public.”
“Being extremely vulnerable to the pressure to feel productive, I forced myself to follow my friends and “make the most of” my quarantine. Without a reason to be busy, I was left alone to ruminate repeatedly over self-destructive thoughts. It was not fun.”
“A couple of my pals have been laid off by the companies they work at, in a bid to cut on the costs. Their family needs being constant, they are having a hell of a time trying to fend for the same. This has led to increased depression…”
“Without knowing whether i will be able to fly to the States this fall, i am afraid that i may end up missing out on the college experience that i desired and aimed for when applying. Opportunities such as diversity, internships, and the spirit of exploration may all be diminished. And the financial burden that may come with it is simply unimaginable.”
“I’m a 3 year old Labrador living with a retired bossie (LtCol in the Dutch Army) and a full time working female bossie. For my bossie and me hardly anything changed. We only have a partial lockdown in The Netherlands, so we can still do our daily walkies in the park…”
Life in Quarantine: Witnessing Global Pandemic is an initiative sponsored by the Poetic Media Lab and the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis at Stanford University.
Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA),
Stanford University
Address:
4th floor, Wallenberg Hall (bldg. 160)
450 Jane Stanford Way
Stanford, CA 94305
Stanford Mail Code: 2055