Lissa Rodríguez:
Since the beginning of the pandemic life has never been the same. For me in particular it has been challenging the most because I recently moved to the United States. I am in a country I have never lived in before so I had to make adjustments. In my native country we are surrounded by more nature. Trees, beaches, and warm weather. With an environment like back home quarantine would not have been so challenging. New York City is where covid19 was at its highest making going outside more challenging than other places. Being surrounded by buildings and cold weather was difficult to absorb.
Although there was some negativity there were also some positives. Something positive was spending time with my husband. He works a lot and we usually see each other during the night. He is a Teacher so his job went remote during the pandemic. We got to spend the morning, day, and night together. Another positive is that I cooked more meals and never ate out. I felt healthier and cooking was entertaining me.
Staying hopefully was difficult, but I know that everything that has a beginning reaches an end. I did some research on past pandemics and realized they don't last an eternity. Things will always get better before they turn worse. I also pray every night because I am a catholic. To stay hopeful I also did exercise. Exercise helped me release stress and take my mind off the pandemic.
Although there was some negativity there were also some positives. Something positive was spending time with my husband. He works a lot and we usually see each other during the night. He is a Teacher so his job went remote during the pandemic. We got to spend the morning, day, and night together. Another positive is that I cooked more meals and never ate out. I felt healthier and cooking was entertaining me.
Staying hopefully was difficult, but I know that everything that has a beginning reaches an end. I did some research on past pandemics and realized they don't last an eternity. Things will always get better before they turn worse. I also pray every night because I am a catholic. To stay hopeful I also did exercise. Exercise helped me release stress and take my mind off the pandemic.
Jessica Cordoba: My Quarantine
My life changes because I am unable to see my family this year and I haven't been able to fix my status in EEUU. A good change that happened this year was finding a new job and staying healthy. My biggest hope is knowing my family feeling good and didn't get sick in this period of pandemic.
Tijaniya Gangue: Time of Discovery
My name is Tijaniya and I want to share with you my routine during the quarantine of corona virus pandemic.
I get up at 6am and do my preyers after go back to bed until 9am. I take a shower and get my clothes on and then open my laptop go to zoom for my english classes that began at 10am. After I get some work done like cleaning do the bed etc. I live with my husband so for breakfast I made him a smoothies of fruit and for me its bread eggs fruits or cereal. At 2pm we do lunch I cook everyday, since the pandemic our diet change a lot . My husband stopped her work since the pandemic began because he worked at a restaurant and me, I don’t work because I just came here last year and I have to learn english first to be able to communicate with others and go to school. When I go to the store to buy food or supply I put my mask on make sure I stay 6 feet apart of peoples.
Most of the time am in my phone looking for news in social media like instagram, tiktok, youtube and tweeter.
My husband go to the gym everyday, and stay at home because I’m too lazy doing excise I prefer not to go with him, but now I really want it and I start going with him. At the evening I prepare diner for my husband and I, after that I watch movies in english to perform my listening and read the the subtitles.
Life with quarantine during the pandemic is so kind of boring like no going outside, can’t visit some places like me ho just came here, no gathering with families or friends, but interesting to see it differently.
I get up at 6am and do my preyers after go back to bed until 9am. I take a shower and get my clothes on and then open my laptop go to zoom for my english classes that began at 10am. After I get some work done like cleaning do the bed etc. I live with my husband so for breakfast I made him a smoothies of fruit and for me its bread eggs fruits or cereal. At 2pm we do lunch I cook everyday, since the pandemic our diet change a lot . My husband stopped her work since the pandemic began because he worked at a restaurant and me, I don’t work because I just came here last year and I have to learn english first to be able to communicate with others and go to school. When I go to the store to buy food or supply I put my mask on make sure I stay 6 feet apart of peoples.
Most of the time am in my phone looking for news in social media like instagram, tiktok, youtube and tweeter.
My husband go to the gym everyday, and stay at home because I’m too lazy doing excise I prefer not to go with him, but now I really want it and I start going with him. At the evening I prepare diner for my husband and I, after that I watch movies in english to perform my listening and read the the subtitles.
Life with quarantine during the pandemic is so kind of boring like no going outside, can’t visit some places like me ho just came here, no gathering with families or friends, but interesting to see it differently.
Dennisse Criollo
The coronavirus was an unexpected event that coming to chance the live for everybody. The virus cause that people’s plans have to stop for a while and reconsider what are the really important things in the life, such as their families and jobs. Due the pandemic a lot of people have difficult moments, some people lose their jobs and the saddest thing is that some people unfortunately died and their families now are trying to live with this.
In my case although I lost my job, I think that the pandemic and the quarantine was a good opportunity to stay more time with my family and enjoy with them. I was in the house with my four cousins and my aunt, during this time on weekends we played volleyball on the backyard, also played table games like monopoly, did a puzzle and some nights just watched movies with candies and snacks.
I also took advantage of the time taking courses about my career degree and did exercise inside house with my cousin, we usually danced with YouTube tutorials. I continued to learning English and for this reason I assisted to English community impact program.
The cutest moment that I have was my birthday. This was a beautiful surprise in house with my family, all the house was adorned with balloons, frozen movie things, candies and a little cake. We had a fun and value time together.
So, I think that all things that occur us are a possibility to improve ourselves and look for new goals. The pandemic is a new momentary status for the population and we need to learn how live with it and also, we should look for different ways to make the plans that we had before of the pandemic.
In my case although I lost my job, I think that the pandemic and the quarantine was a good opportunity to stay more time with my family and enjoy with them. I was in the house with my four cousins and my aunt, during this time on weekends we played volleyball on the backyard, also played table games like monopoly, did a puzzle and some nights just watched movies with candies and snacks.
I also took advantage of the time taking courses about my career degree and did exercise inside house with my cousin, we usually danced with YouTube tutorials. I continued to learning English and for this reason I assisted to English community impact program.
The cutest moment that I have was my birthday. This was a beautiful surprise in house with my family, all the house was adorned with balloons, frozen movie things, candies and a little cake. We had a fun and value time together.
So, I think that all things that occur us are a possibility to improve ourselves and look for new goals. The pandemic is a new momentary status for the population and we need to learn how live with it and also, we should look for different ways to make the plans that we had before of the pandemic.
Luz Gonzalez
Covid-19 pandendemic changed my life because I can only go to work two days a week and just a few hours. Being in the house at all times is stressful and depressive ,so you cannot go to visit your families and friends. you can't even go shopping. Also,not where. I appreciate my family and friends because life can change in minutes. I never imagined to be using a face mask, this is so uncomfortable to breathe with. I have to wear a mask all the time to protect myself, my family and the world. One thing I do to stay hopeful is to pray to god for the human race.
Aung Kyi Sann
When Covid-19 came to the world, everything changed. The world’s economy is down, many companies in bankruptcy, people are jobless, people have anxiety about the virus and are scared of each other. I have read in the news some people committed suicide when they could not find food. As for me, I got two results, good and bad.
Good Result, I got long term holidays, unemployment benefit, I had time to read many books, and joined the ESOL Class.
Bad result, I have lost my job, wear a mask going outside, feel like I am not a free man and (I tested?) positive for Covid-19.
As I got these two, many people in the world were the same. Most had it more difficult than me. On seeing this pandemic, I understood "We didn't care for the world, we did what we wanted to do". It's the cause of the world drowning into suffering. If you do not care for the world, the world will never care for you. That's why if you love yourself, your family, relatives and generations, you have to care the world, The world will return it to you.
Good Result, I got long term holidays, unemployment benefit, I had time to read many books, and joined the ESOL Class.
Bad result, I have lost my job, wear a mask going outside, feel like I am not a free man and (I tested?) positive for Covid-19.
As I got these two, many people in the world were the same. Most had it more difficult than me. On seeing this pandemic, I understood "We didn't care for the world, we did what we wanted to do". It's the cause of the world drowning into suffering. If you do not care for the world, the world will never care for you. That's why if you love yourself, your family, relatives and generations, you have to care the world, The world will return it to you.
Flutura Zekaj
November 20, 2020
Dear Diary,
I know I haven’t written you since I was a little girl and I wanted to apologize.
I had never thought that I would really live in a time of war. Yes, yes dear diary, outside is a scary war.
Although I have always had the most horrible thoughts in my mind, I did not think I would have to face such a situation. Thousands of lives have been taken from this "corona virus", which is thought to have come from a night owl. The whole world is quarantined. The noisy streets of New York are no longer like that. In addition, hundreds of people have lost their jobs, including me. In my beautiful Albania, in my homeland, nothing is the same. What anxiety overwhelms you every day because you have your relatives there, eagerly awaiting their daily phone call, where they announce that they are fine.
This virus which came from a place far away, in China, stopped there, now it is trying to devour the rest of the world. He looks like a scary monster, who will not stop, until he takes our soul. How do you say my diary? Will we allow it? The most selfish creatures in the world? Will we allow him to rob us our life? Together we can do it, dear diary. I threw it, with more difficulty I passed covid-19, in the end I won.
In this way we will encourage everyone to stay strong. We will think of the frightened grandmothers and grandfathers in their homes, we will think of those girls who very soon have their wedding, the most beautiful day of their lives, we will think of the students who will graduate this year and throw away their hats. We will think about every life the man who must return to normal, because the psychological state of all people in the world is very serious. We must win and defeat all together this damn virus, which came to leave a few bruises on each of us. But I am sure that even though we are injured, even though we are tired of this situation, we will succeed.
Yours,
Flutura.
Dear Diary,
I know I haven’t written you since I was a little girl and I wanted to apologize.
I had never thought that I would really live in a time of war. Yes, yes dear diary, outside is a scary war.
Although I have always had the most horrible thoughts in my mind, I did not think I would have to face such a situation. Thousands of lives have been taken from this "corona virus", which is thought to have come from a night owl. The whole world is quarantined. The noisy streets of New York are no longer like that. In addition, hundreds of people have lost their jobs, including me. In my beautiful Albania, in my homeland, nothing is the same. What anxiety overwhelms you every day because you have your relatives there, eagerly awaiting their daily phone call, where they announce that they are fine.
This virus which came from a place far away, in China, stopped there, now it is trying to devour the rest of the world. He looks like a scary monster, who will not stop, until he takes our soul. How do you say my diary? Will we allow it? The most selfish creatures in the world? Will we allow him to rob us our life? Together we can do it, dear diary. I threw it, with more difficulty I passed covid-19, in the end I won.
In this way we will encourage everyone to stay strong. We will think of the frightened grandmothers and grandfathers in their homes, we will think of those girls who very soon have their wedding, the most beautiful day of their lives, we will think of the students who will graduate this year and throw away their hats. We will think about every life the man who must return to normal, because the psychological state of all people in the world is very serious. We must win and defeat all together this damn virus, which came to leave a few bruises on each of us. But I am sure that even though we are injured, even though we are tired of this situation, we will succeed.
Yours,
Flutura.
Glenys Lopez
Hi my name is Glenys Lopez this is my little questionnaire about covid19
How does covid19 change my life? It's the first time in my life where I live something that I've only seen in the movies, the change was positive because I put into practice many hygiene methods that we rated in school but that we don't put into practice.
Have there been any positive changes? Yes in many things
What do you do to keep hope? God gives me hope, I am the one I think God created the world and despite how we are the people God loves us and an act of love that doing for us is to give us this beautiful home called world and we do not value since every day we destroy it and for me the pandemic is a way of showing us that if he wants in a second he can destroy the world and he gives us many opportunities to change since as brothers we did not take care of ourselves and less our home so it served me to change
It is time to take care and appreciate nature and animal
It is time to take care of what we have, and we begin to love and take care of what God did we give
No matter how difficult life feels, let’s enjoy life, it is a gift from GOD
How does covid19 change my life? It's the first time in my life where I live something that I've only seen in the movies, the change was positive because I put into practice many hygiene methods that we rated in school but that we don't put into practice.
Have there been any positive changes? Yes in many things
What do you do to keep hope? God gives me hope, I am the one I think God created the world and despite how we are the people God loves us and an act of love that doing for us is to give us this beautiful home called world and we do not value since every day we destroy it and for me the pandemic is a way of showing us that if he wants in a second he can destroy the world and he gives us many opportunities to change since as brothers we did not take care of ourselves and less our home so it served me to change
It is time to take care and appreciate nature and animal
It is time to take care of what we have, and we begin to love and take care of what God did we give
No matter how difficult life feels, let’s enjoy life, it is a gift from GOD
Madhu Jain
Hi, my name is Madhu Jain from level 5 ESOL class. I spent my quarantine time with my family. I learned to cook, bake, improve my English, and use digital technology like zoom and webex. I talked with my family from India. Also, I communicated with my friends from phone calls or video calls. We would play games, sing Bollywood songs, and talk a lot. My son worked from house. My daughter worked in research lab and it was stressful on her. My husband worked from home and office. I learned about embroidery and crochet. I did a lot of yoga because these times were stressful for me to manage household and spending time with my family. It was very nice learning experience. I did a lot gardening, walking in my garden, and a lot of things. I also wore mask & gloves to protect myself and others from spreading coronavirus.
Beatriz Mejia
The coronavirus pandemic has caused changes in each person's ways of life. from the largest city to the most remote village.
At first like most of the people in the world, I didn’t believe in the coronavirus, since a lot is going up in the world regarding to politics, wars, etc. I thought it was only a distraction.
Back in January when I heard about it, I was happily working in my new job, a job where I finally, really like to work. And Coronavirus was on every news and still I didn’t believe but start of march little by little every single restaurant, stores, event, etc. in New York City started slow down. Then my manager cuts everybody shift and then the restaurant decide to close. I remembered that my manager support words were – don’t worries, once everything settle down, we back to normal. -… (sad things is the ¨normal¨ we once knew it won’t come back).
Then the governor decided to quarantine New York City. but I wasn't only here it was all cities, all states, the country. The whole world was lockdown! I WAS IN SHOCK! Then I decided to turn on the tv; When I saw the news, I started to believe in coronavirus. I saw how many people were dying for coronavirus, many, many people lose their families, their friends, their communities. Very sad thing is that many people they even couldn’t see their families, they didn’t get the body, they didn’t get the ashes, they didn’t get to say the last good bye.
I was getting worry for my families here, I wanted to see my brother, I wanted to know if he was okay, wanted to Hugh my brother. But we were lockdown we couldn’t see each other, I could visit him anyway but we decide to stay apart, to stay connect only in media communication, it was better that way to keep my brother and myself safe. My worries was here. I didn’t thinking about my families in Mexico i thought that as my village is so small that coronavirus couldn’t get till there I was wrong, I have a friend whom is a doctor she told that the village next to mine was some cases of coronavirus and the doctors tell them to stay in quarantine to keep the village safe but they didn’t listen up. Cause they didn’t believe, but later a person died, everyone went to the funeral after two weeks another person died, till then they start to believe it. I call my mom, my family, to stay safe all the time, my mom told me that they couldn’t stay in quarantine anyway, well I got angry and upset I yelled at my mom because she didn’t listen me. And she tells me wisely to think about the differences between NYC and my little IXCUINATOYAC. And she was right about it. And I figured out that here in NYC there were helps, such as organizations helping with food pantry, paying some rents. And There are hospitals with good equipment. But in my little IXCUINATOYAC doesn’t have everything like NYC, the closest hospital is about 1 hour driven, it weren’t food pantry. some people didn’t have enough money to buy their food so they have to get out to work risking themselves and their families in that way they could feed their families. I finally understood and apologized to my mom.
See the lockdown like an opportunity to change your ideas and become a better person.
Everyone was lockdown, but not everyone could face it. At first was little scary but well Then It wasn’t the scary thing anymore. This time was a little bit of the hysteria. Some of them thought they have coronavirus when they had allergies, and some of them they couldn’t stay in home because they thought coronavirus was lying but they got sick. And others people get depressed because they didn’t know what to do.
In the another hands meanwhile I only ordered food pantry by the internet, everything delivered in the door and all the time I make sure to clean and disinfected before everything get to my kitchen I try really hard to stay calm with the situation, I was really scared after a week of the quarantine I was scare, two weeks happens, three weeks happens. Well I kind of work to adapt myself of the new situation, I make myself believe that this the new normal and I start to see the bright side of everything I clean my space and I found my little notes that I forgot about. I opened my old notes where I write my goals that I never reach. I looked up onto it and one of my goals was to finish my English class in J.E.E.P community impact. Well I subscribe again in the program for the summer class well I didn’t get it, but also it didn’t stop to try again; later I was accepted for fall class I was really happy.
Also, volunteer was on my list and I find an organization that helps people, mostly elderly to deliver them food pantry and meals, I took some friends with me they were happy to help and also I was really happy to help.
For myself for the very first I start to practice meditation, some yoga poses and absolutely I start work out often. I start to read some more books I left behind, I learned new abilities that I didn’t know I could do and I more than happy to continue working on my new abilities to face the new reality.
At first like most of the people in the world, I didn’t believe in the coronavirus, since a lot is going up in the world regarding to politics, wars, etc. I thought it was only a distraction.
Back in January when I heard about it, I was happily working in my new job, a job where I finally, really like to work. And Coronavirus was on every news and still I didn’t believe but start of march little by little every single restaurant, stores, event, etc. in New York City started slow down. Then my manager cuts everybody shift and then the restaurant decide to close. I remembered that my manager support words were – don’t worries, once everything settle down, we back to normal. -… (sad things is the ¨normal¨ we once knew it won’t come back).
Then the governor decided to quarantine New York City. but I wasn't only here it was all cities, all states, the country. The whole world was lockdown! I WAS IN SHOCK! Then I decided to turn on the tv; When I saw the news, I started to believe in coronavirus. I saw how many people were dying for coronavirus, many, many people lose their families, their friends, their communities. Very sad thing is that many people they even couldn’t see their families, they didn’t get the body, they didn’t get the ashes, they didn’t get to say the last good bye.
I was getting worry for my families here, I wanted to see my brother, I wanted to know if he was okay, wanted to Hugh my brother. But we were lockdown we couldn’t see each other, I could visit him anyway but we decide to stay apart, to stay connect only in media communication, it was better that way to keep my brother and myself safe. My worries was here. I didn’t thinking about my families in Mexico i thought that as my village is so small that coronavirus couldn’t get till there I was wrong, I have a friend whom is a doctor she told that the village next to mine was some cases of coronavirus and the doctors tell them to stay in quarantine to keep the village safe but they didn’t listen up. Cause they didn’t believe, but later a person died, everyone went to the funeral after two weeks another person died, till then they start to believe it. I call my mom, my family, to stay safe all the time, my mom told me that they couldn’t stay in quarantine anyway, well I got angry and upset I yelled at my mom because she didn’t listen me. And she tells me wisely to think about the differences between NYC and my little IXCUINATOYAC. And she was right about it. And I figured out that here in NYC there were helps, such as organizations helping with food pantry, paying some rents. And There are hospitals with good equipment. But in my little IXCUINATOYAC doesn’t have everything like NYC, the closest hospital is about 1 hour driven, it weren’t food pantry. some people didn’t have enough money to buy their food so they have to get out to work risking themselves and their families in that way they could feed their families. I finally understood and apologized to my mom.
See the lockdown like an opportunity to change your ideas and become a better person.
Everyone was lockdown, but not everyone could face it. At first was little scary but well Then It wasn’t the scary thing anymore. This time was a little bit of the hysteria. Some of them thought they have coronavirus when they had allergies, and some of them they couldn’t stay in home because they thought coronavirus was lying but they got sick. And others people get depressed because they didn’t know what to do.
In the another hands meanwhile I only ordered food pantry by the internet, everything delivered in the door and all the time I make sure to clean and disinfected before everything get to my kitchen I try really hard to stay calm with the situation, I was really scared after a week of the quarantine I was scare, two weeks happens, three weeks happens. Well I kind of work to adapt myself of the new situation, I make myself believe that this the new normal and I start to see the bright side of everything I clean my space and I found my little notes that I forgot about. I opened my old notes where I write my goals that I never reach. I looked up onto it and one of my goals was to finish my English class in J.E.E.P community impact. Well I subscribe again in the program for the summer class well I didn’t get it, but also it didn’t stop to try again; later I was accepted for fall class I was really happy.
Also, volunteer was on my list and I find an organization that helps people, mostly elderly to deliver them food pantry and meals, I took some friends with me they were happy to help and also I was really happy to help.
For myself for the very first I start to practice meditation, some yoga poses and absolutely I start work out often. I start to read some more books I left behind, I learned new abilities that I didn’t know I could do and I more than happy to continue working on my new abilities to face the new reality.