Items

• 
  2020-05-12T17:30+10:00

  Finding Light in the Darkness: Sunset from a Melbourne Apartment in Lockdown

  This photograph depicts a sunset from my apartment in Brunswick West, Melbourne on May 12, just before lockdown restrictions begin to ease in Victoria for the first time since March. I had spent that time completely alone in that apartment, as my room mate left for Queensland before lockdown began, my family mainly lived in Queensland, and my friends lived outside my suburb so I could not visit them. This was isolating in multiple ways and led to boredom, sadness, depression, agoraphobia and loneliness. I captured many sunsets like this over the months in my apartment, which brought a small bit of light amidst the dark monotony of lockdown. From this view I could imagine what lied beyond the walls of my small living space, and look forward to a day where I could feel safe moving beyond home and my nearby grocery store. HIST30060.
• 
  2020-05-04

  Fish Wish in the time of Covid - Jewish Melbourne

  We decided as a family to create a film that documented our experience of lockdown. The film is a narrative that is loosely based on our family's lived experience in the time of Covid-19. The act of making the film as a family served to connect us creatively. The film also acts as a time capsule.
• 2020-03-24

  Borders slamming shut - echoes of my parents conversations

  As borders around the world were slamming shut, I organised for my daughter to return home from Israel very fast, experiencing the anxieties of my childhood overlaid with the stories of my parents .
• 
  2020-08-11

  Statue of St Vincent wearing a mask

  St Vincent is the patron saint of St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. This statue has been popular with visitors and staff, featured in many photos and selfies, located in a plaza area in front of the main inpatient facility which is a centre of gatherings and activity in normal times. A series of masks have been placed on St Vincent's face by staff to reinforce the message of the importance of this measure to limit the spread of the virus. The one pictured was one of many sewn by hospital volunteers in a project to provide masks for vulnerable community members.
• 
  2020-02-28

  Not overseas but home

  I wrote this story for Womankind magazine's online 'Life in Lockdown' site. It is my reflection on my decision to cancel my long-planned overseas family adventure in the very early days of the pandemic. I wish I'd kept a better diary of this time so I'm glad I wrote this piece.
• 
  2020-06-09

  Jewish Melbourne DISPOSABLE

  Personal Reflection in regard to growing opinion that "it is the duty of the old to step aside and let younger people receive treatment",
• 
  2018

  Jewish Melbourne - Applesauce In The Meatloaf

  An unveiling of a dear friend , an unexpected lesson learned, and the value of every day.
• 
  2020-04-12

  Jewish Melbourne - The Year Without A Garden

  I love to garden. And especially our community garden. We started small and watched it grow year by year. The friendships grew too. It was also a place where neighbor's walking their dogs or just out for a stroll could pause, admire the colors and aromas - a bit of peace in an increasingly stressful world. This year, restrictions governing social distancing and community gatherings prohibited us from working on our garden. The pandemic had taken yet another joy from our lives.
• 
  2020-04-12T16:15:10

  Jewish Melbourne - Passover 2020

  Passover is one of my favorite holidays. I love the Seder, songs, prayers, food and sharing it with loved ones. For the last several years, I have been a guest at my dear friend's house. She has three grandson's, twins age 13 and a 10 year old. Her daughter is a wonderful baker and makes the most wonderful desserts! Her son is a chef and dinner is spectacular! He also conducts the Seder with the perfect combination of fun and the seriousness of the occasion. I miss this terribly!
• 
  2020-06-29

  Bubba Helen reflects on how to cope with the Cholera virus while NOT participating in her Israeli dancing passion (Jewish Melbourne)

  The Israeli Folk dancing community in Melbourne specifically, is bereft at not being able to participate in weekly dance classes since the outbreak of the cholera pandemic
• 
  2020-05-18

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Simon

  “In terms of music, the future is very uncertain. For everyone in my band, and friends who play music and survive on it, their livelihood has been turned off at the switch. It's a really weird feeling for society. Everyone in the industry knows how to hustle and change up their thing, but it’s just so uncertain. Many artists have no plans and no clear road ahead. I just started a relationship with someone a couple of months ago. Two weeks later, we went into lockdown. But it’s been really awesome. Having a good person in my life has been really important. When there’s no plans to be made, there’s a sort of a freedom when you can just focus on the day. It is nice to make everything small like that - focusing on the 14-16 waking hours and not expecting too much out of them. Simplicity has been getting me through this. The pot plants are getting a fair amount of attention...” Instagram post on Simon, musician, and his experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Hugo Ling

  “It’s strange having all this time to myself at home. I'm not necessarily someone who spends a lot of time at home alone doing my own thing in normal circumstances. The first few weeks were very funny to sit back and think ‘What are my interests? What am I into?’ I’ve been trying to do things that keep my brain active, like Boggle, practising my French, and learning some Spanish. Coming back a few months ago from exchange in France has given me some perspective on COVID19. I’ve got a few friends over there who are completely locked in their apartment. Here, we’re lucky to still have the freedom to walk and bike ride at our leisure. I’ve been doing both of them a lot. Earlier in the pandemic, everyone was talking about ‘social distancing’. My mum pointed out that the better term is ‘physical distancing’. You don't want to be socially distant, you want to be socially connected, with a distance - something that me and my friends have maintained. I’ve been feeding off the creativity of some of my friends: weekly Zoom live music; a home-made magazine; a friend is making Vino Quarantino. So there are a few things that have been happening amongst my close circle that keep us all talking, interested and connected. We’ll definitely carry the habit of diligent handwashing into the future, and a greater consideration for general hygiene. The pandemic has definitely sparked that in my house. I get bouts of cabin fever from time to time, but am trying to keep busy and active.” Instagram post on Hugo Ling, student, and his experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Hayley Katzen

  “I live on a cattle farm in the bush, so isolation is nothing new for me. I swore that I would never live here, but then I fell in love with a beautiful woman. The big thing for me at the moment is that I'm about to publish my memoir, Untethered. It's a very exciting time. COVID-19 has had very little impact on us. We live quite isolated lives; I could go for weeks without seeing anyone. So it’s kind of funny to see city friends who are usually very busy suddenly wanting to do Zooms and Whatsapps. It’s nice, but I’ve lived like this for so long. The biggest difference for me is actually positive. I feel a sense of being accompanied at this time, as everyone is now living as I have been living. Often, over the years, I have felt quite lonely and struggled with the isolation, as do so many people. Now we are all in this. Adjusting to isolation is a deeply personal process. We all need to find what delights us and add it to our days. As I have compromised immunity, I have to wear a mask when going out. It feels very strange going to the supermarket and not being able to connect with anyone. I’ve been dealing with ovarian cancer treatment, so there is an uncertainty to my future. At this time, when the whole world is dealing with anxiety and uncertainty, there’s a universality to this shared experience. I find this intriguing at one level, and also feel incredibly lucky to be where I am. What most interests me is what we will put back into the world after this. My life won't change significantly. But in terms of our fragile planet, what will people do to take care of it?” Instagram post on Hayley Katzen, author, and their experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-29

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: James

  “I'm still working here at the supermarket 3-4 times a week. It’s been way busier and at times quite overwhelming. When the whole toilet paper saga was happening, it was hard to get enough products in. My other job is at a skatepark, but that’s been put on hold I'm glad to have employment at this time. I’ve been working here for five months now and I love it. Although sitting on my couch is always good, I would much rather come here and work with these guys and get paid. And definitely for my mental state I would rather be here. The skate park that I have been going to for 10 years is closed. I miss that a little bit. But I’m still skating when I can. I’m looking forward to being able to see my mates. Zoom calls are not the same. It’s weird, you never would have thought you’d appreciate it so much.” Instagram post on James, store clerk, and his experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-22

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Sumeyya

  “Last year I went overseas to work in Turkey. After my return, I was diagnosed with cancer so I couldn't go back to work. Since last year, my life has basically been under lockdown, so nothing very new to me. I just do home things most of the time, such as research, reading, art and walks. I’m really looking forward to being free again. As painful as this pandemic is for many people, we needed this. Everyone is becoming very selfish. Everything has become about the dollar and money, rather than looking around and appreciating life around them. But at the end, they will be miserable because they didn’t really enjoy life. Overseas is like another world, especially in poor countries. But no one stops to think about how these people are surviving. Ramaddan is in a few days' time. There is a mixture of excitement and nervousness. It will be hard because we can’t visit friends and family, or have meals together with lots of people. But a lot of people are working on keeping it positive. This year we can pray just with our family, and it is still rewarding. As hard as this time is, we are going to be part of history!” Instagram post on Sumeyya, student, blogger & model, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Zev

  “I’m excited to do everything that I can’t do now because of corona. I hate coronavirus, it’s annoying. School on the computer is boring. I can’t see my friends. Now that I think of it, I do miss school. People need to stop doing what the police tell them not to do. I saw two teenagers get told off by police for kissing in the park, and also people sunbaking. I'm going to appreciate seeing my friends more once this is over.” Instagram post on Zev, a student, and their experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-17

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Molly

  “Online schooling is definitely not ideal. I’d rather be at school with my friends. But considering it’s the only option, it’s going ok so far. The biggest challenge for me is trying to keep on top of the work, because there’s so much being thrown at us and no teacher there to guide us. I miss school a lot, especially my friends, sport and socialising with people. I find that social media is not the same as actually seeing your friends. I prefer being one-on-one with someone so we can actually talk properly. I’m a lot calmer than I was at the end of last term. Everything around me is organised and clean, so I feel a lot less stressed and chaotic. But now I'm ready for my life to go back to normal.” Instagram post on Molly, a high school student, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Felix

  “It’s strange that as days go by, I'm reminded very much of the time when I was a young boy in Shanghai, under the Japanese troops, and we had ration books. I was about 8 and I would have to wake up at 4.30 or 5.00 in the morning for sugar or rice. So there's the same kind of feelings of stress, with tension in the air. Instead of Japanese troops around, there's a deadly virus menacing us. I don’t really have to adjust to this life; it’s the young people that have to. We don’t go out that much anyway in non-corona conditions. I listened to Bill Gate’s Ted Talk given in 2015, where he spoke about precisely this, and how we were not ready to handle a pandemic. In that sense, some knowledgeable people could have predicted this. In terms of immensity, this is probably one of the biggest possible events imaginable.” Instagram post on Felix, a facilitator, and his experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Jesse Burns

  “Broadcasting is classified as an essential service, so we still have to work as much, if not more, as before. COVID has changed the entire way we approach stories; in particular, we can’t be close to someone when we interview them. Without being able to shake hands, the interactions can be quite awkward. At first, I think people were struggling. The bushfires were all about a team effort, and that was so fundamental to getting everyone through. But with corona hitting, and the toilet paper saga, it was each man for themselves. This was a big blow to a lot of people. There have been some really somber days, with huge numbers of people losing their jobs overnight. We all felt it. A reminder of our sympathetic, compassionate nature as Australians.” Instagram post on Jesse Burns, journalist, and his experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Jemma Katz

  “In November, I was diagnosed with a cancer of the immune system. I've been undergoing chemo ever since. I finished three weeks ago, but the chemo is really intense and makes you very vulnerable to catching everything, so I can’t leave the house at all. My sister caught a tiny cold and it gave me a really intense chest infection. I have nothing in my body to fight off infection. My life was meant to go back to normal after chemo, but it hasn’t. Very much the opposite. The whole experience of cancer and then corona all around has made me realise how much I took for granted in my life, like being independent. I pretty much can’t do anything alone. I'm 23, and not really living the life of a 23 year old. I've found it helpful to establish a routine. I’m looking forward to being able to do the simple things once this is over, like going for a drive or a walk alone, being able to look after myself.” Instagram post on Jemma, a university student, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
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  2020-04-16

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Ani Jordens

  “I’ve been feeling fully immobilized by this pandemic. I’ve noticed many people jumping into new interests and hobbies, and I'm just struggling to work out: who am I outside of work? What hobbies do I have? What are my interests? I just don't know! I’ve been observing my friends and family who have lost the jobs and livelihoods that gave them a sense of purpose. An important part of self-esteem is drawing it from multiple sources. If all of your eggs are in one basket and it gets taken away, then you will have a massive drop in self-esteem. But right now, people have lost multiple sources of self-esteem, which puts intense strain on mental health. Perhaps we need new structures and more supportive systems. The working-at-home thing has revolutionized able-bodied peoples’ lives, and could be used in a really productive way post-pandemic to make careers more accessible to people with a disability. Hopefully we learn something from this.” Instagram post on Ani Jordens, a university student, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Campbell Walker

  “What has changed the most is definitely not going to football. The season would have just started and I guess not having that big commitment. We’re still supposed to be doing a little bit of running and weights as best we can, with the equipment that we have. I actually quite miss it to be honest. I enjoy a break at the end of each year, but not at this time of year, purely because we’ve done a lot of hard training over the summer. The timing is what it is, but I do miss it a little bit. I'm going to really appreciate, and not take for granted, seeing my girlfriend properly. At the moment we have decided that keeping the 1.5m gap is the best decision for us. Like we’re still going for a few walks and that, but in terms of actually giving her a big hug when I see her. It’s only been a couple of weeks since we’ve decided to do that, but it’s still pretty rough. I wont take that for granted, and I’ll definitely appreciate that, when the restrictions lift and we’re able to do that again.” Instagram post on Campbell Walker, VFL player & landscaper, and his experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Nicole

  “Like everyone else, I was feeling a bit gloomy and today is actually the anniversary of my brother passing away, so I wanted to do something that would bring sunshine to people walking past. I’d like to see my friends and my god-children. And my family. It’s a month since I saw my mum - I don’t think I’ve ever not seen her for that long! I work in the events industry, so that was one of the first areas to get hit pretty hard. The simplicity of it all is something I’m discovering I like, yet never knew it… the slow breakfasts, extra time cuddling my son, not rushing everywhere. Ironically the team I’m in is closer than ever before, linking up from all around the world. That’s another unexpected. Life throws you curveballs every now and then. You just got to go with it” Instagram post on Nicole, events, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Paul Crusi

  “Certainty. These are very uncertain times. We don't know what restrictions will be in place in a few weeks' time, let alone a few months’ time, or even in a few days’ time. I have a lot of uncertainty with my work, which will impact my family. I’ve got work booked up, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. Makes things tricky. I wouldn’t say relationships have changed exactly, maybe bit more involvement and strengthened. Family time has increased incredibly, especially with seeing a lot more of the twenty-year-old (the others are seventeen and ten). Playing Monopoly, Squatter - long-term games, and jigsaw puzzles…” Instagram post on Paul Crusi, a painter, created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 
  2020-04-17

  Second Adolescence

  This photo is of my little brother, who is sixteen this year, as we were spending time together on the balcony of our house. This was out of sheer desperation in terms of getting out of the house, even though it is freezing outside at this time of year in the afternoons. For two months during lockdown my brother and I spent more time together than we probably have in the last three years combined, given that I am ten years older than him and have lived out of home up until last year our relationship was always a bit like ships passing in the night. In addition to that our relationship has always been vaguely parental due to the age difference (and possibly my own gendered conditioning to adopt a caregiver role), yet in this period I have had such a strange feeling of emotionally revisiting my adolescence due to the amount of time I am spending with my brother and cousin who is eighteen, which has been such a strange and disorienting experience. I feel like this has been such a pointed sensation for me as someone who doesn’t drive, and with public transport it is just bearable as I have some access to independent travel. But when I could no longer go anywhere at all without my mother driving me, I felt like my identity as a capable adult essentially crumbled overnight. There are elements to this that are positive, I feel like my brother understands me much better now and my relationship with my cousin borders more on the side of best friends than cousins in a way that would probably not have happened if I hadn’t been forced to put aside the cloak of adulthood which made me essentially relate to my cousin from a caregiver perspective.
• 
  2020-04-06

  Hopper Life Filter

  I have included this photo as it reminded me so strongly, on the night I took that photo, of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks (1942). For some reason I have always found the colour palette and story of that particular painting to be really soothing and calming, and it has always been one of my favourite painting for that reason even though by genre and artist it falls well outside my usual area of interest. I remember reading something years ago which described the scenes depicted in Hopper’s artworks in this period as depicting liminal social spaces, characterised by public spaces designed for crowds (cafes, hotels lobbies, restaurants etc.) which are nearly empty and in between phases of activity, and this whole year has felt like one giant Hopper painting that I can’t escape from. I looked at a bunch of his paintings again whilst deciding what to say about this moment, and the painting Automat (1927) is one I have always identified with in a really positive way being both rather introverted and a ritual tea drinker. When I was looking at his paintings again and saw it however, I felt such a strange rush of both sadness and anxiety and I can’t help but feel like my enjoyment of Hopper’s paintings in this period has been ruined forever, though hopefully my feelings about the paintings will swing in the opposite direction again as I age and change myself, as great art is wont to do.
• 
  2020-05-27

  Flatmates

  I have spent the pandemic living with my 5 flatmates in our student accommodation. Some of us had lived at student accommodation before and were already acquainted with each other, whereas others were strangers at the beginning of the year. Over the last few months we have learned to live with each other amidst the uncertainty posed by the virus, organising cleaning rosters, discussing food, stressing over university assignments and rediscovering the beauty of The Lord of the Rings films.
• 2020-03-18

  What we do as the plague approaches: Post 1

  Melbourne writer Arnold Zable began regular posts on Facebook in mid March about his thoughts and feelings on the pandemic. He has given permission for them to be reproduced here.
• 
  2020-04-21

  Ballarat 3 21 April 2020 Being Sick In This Time - But Not With The Virus

  An account of how lockdown has affected delivery of some medical services
• 
  2020-04-08

  Ballarat COVID-19 Report Number One

  Personal observation of lockdown in a regional Australian city
• 
  03/26/2020

  Alexander Oral History, 2020/03/26

  Rounding up what I've been doing since the first log I posted on March 24. There was a few things I felt like I didn't cover very well originally.
• 
  03/24/2020

  Alexander Oral History, 2020/03/24

  Alexander describes how his life has changed in the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Some of his challenges include teleworking for a new job, watching over his kids now that they can’t go to school, and coping with shortages of necessities and lack of normal entertainment such as sports. He talks about how he thinks it is a good thing that his kids are not at school, as primary schools are known to be germ spreaders. Alexander conveys his hopes that the lockdown will end soon and normal life will be able to continue.