Life Beyond Coronavirus #2: Quarantine Diaries Week 3
This weeks edition of Life Beyond Coronavirus is not so much about life beyond coronavirus, instead we bring you a personal reflection on life in quarantine and some games suggestions. Alongside this there’s some positive news for a bit of distraction and what’s still going on at LUU.
Quarantine Diaries Week 3
Written by Sagal Arboshe
Two weeks ago today the prime minister told millions across the country that they “must stay at home.” He stopped the hearts of even the greatest of introverts when telling the nation that should “your friends ask you to meet, you should say no.” Two weeks ago we were told that every recreational part of the country — and the multitude of ways in which these services and facilities shape your day — were being put on pause. And so, to boot, was the physical presence and joy of being with loved ones outside of your household. Bereft of everything that fills and characterises a day, it’s easy to feel as though life has been put on pause too.
As a full-time master’s student, I was already counting down the end to my tenure studying at Leeds and drafting Google docs of places to go and things to see before I move away. Now, lacking the option to plan picnics at Temple Newsam and do the East Village pub quiz, I’m thinking of every night out and brunch date I turned down over the course of the year. I’m remembering undergrad springs spent sunbathing on Woodhouse Moor and being sequestered in the annex of Brotherton with an 8 pack of energy drinks, eau de despair and my dissertation notes. It’s hard not to feel short changed and to mourn the loss of my final year of education and my final summer in Leeds. Thinking of how staying in doors will fasttrack us to a part of late summer we can enjoy, as well as protecting the lives of millions, is a reminder of why observing quarantine regulations is so important, but it’s a heavy consolation. You can mourn the loss of your weekly Bakery butty and not endanger the lives of others by picnicking on St George’s Field. Every time I think “I really want..” or “I wish I could” I make a note of it in preparation for the day I can have a chai latte and go to a friend’s house again.
Thoughts of the future aside, the present reality of quarantine has both met and mitigated my fears about what ‘lockdown’ would be like. I’ve made it to week five of Couch to 5k, and while doing it without my friend/bully/personal trainer has been difficult, I’ve been loving the empty roads; the human obstacle course that is trying to keep two meters between myself and the family trying to sneak in a quick walk; the feeling of breathing in deeply on Headingley Lane and not choking on car fumes has been almost as beautiful as the return of nature memes populating my twitter feed.
Now that the days are structureless, wide open and waiting for productivity, I’ve reached whole new levels of procrastination (I’ve spent considerably more scrolling through reddit threads than through Jstor articles and am desperately trying to wean myself off of daily naps). Time feels a bit like that stretch of summer in Y11, when you’re done with school and daily chances to see friends, but you’re not quite old enough for a full time job. That period before receiving exam results always felt like a sticky web built out of daily nothingness and anxious thoughts of Plan B, Plan C and general “oh no” that began to make a slow return after the end of week one.
To try and put some distance between myself and the dreaded “oh no” I’ve made lists of the 800 different quarantine activities being shared online and declared this period my Give it a Go session. This is my fourth year studying at Leeds, and ironically my time as a student during quarantine has become my most society active one, as I’ve joined the daily Art Soc drawing challenges, followed Ballet Society tutorials and compiled reading lists from the instagram pages of different societies. I’m slowly weaning myself off of naps, reddit and snacking and back into actual meals, remembering that I’m on a postgraduate degree which requires work and Pop Pilates (BRUTAL , but also fun in an admitted masochistic way). Planning chats, ‘pub quizzes’ and games with friends and family zia Zoom and House Party has helped to break the tedium and anxiety of feeling cooped up and separated from the little things that make life feel normal and fun.
If you’re feeling bored, your days are looking a little sparse or you’d like something new to try, I recommend following the LUU Instagram page where you can keep up with all the society events they are publicising.
Set up your PlayStation social and download Jackbox or House Party for a chance to play games with friends; readapt Zoom from a digital conference space to personal pub quiz and work out how to make the most of your living spaces so that you have a different environment to be in (there may or may not be a cardboard sign with ‘cafe’ written on it hanging above my kitchen table).
Most importantly, remember that you weren’t learning latin every Sunday, perfecting calligraphy in the mornings and running 10ks every evening before quarantine. It’s more than ok to just chill out and enjoy the quiet.
Positive News
Here’s a small selection of non-coronavirus-related positive news stories to keep you looking up!
Wind power capacity grew by nearly a fifth in 2019!
A trial scheme aiming to increase biodiversity on farmland has been successful.
Take a look at how one city in Brazil achieved excellent school results.
Or check out this 3D printed neighborhood in Mexico.
If you need a bit of a distraction, here’s a guide to updating your closet.
What’s On(line) at LUU?
LUU now has a new Virtual Union section of the website, where you can find all the resources you need during this period and keep up to date with what’s going on.
The results of the latest Better Forums have been announced, and there will be another round of those happening online in May.
A quarantine hackathon is taking place until the end of this week.
Last but not least, the university is looking for Hyde Park mural designs, so if you have some time to spare, why not give it a go!
