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Los Angeles
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2023-05-19
Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory is located in Los Angeles, California, where COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in February 2023 statewide. This picture was taken in May of 2023, just a few months after the Observatory stopped asking for proof of vaccination before letting you in and lifted its face mask mandate. I had been to the Observatory several times before the pandemic, but I stopped once the pandemic hit. Although the Observatory was open during the pandemic, it required visitors to wear face masks and show proof of vaccination before allowing them to enter the facility. -
2021-10-21
Phoebe Bridgers at the Greek Theatre
I was able to get tickets to see Phoebe Bridgers in LA October of 2021. My best friend and I drove out there from Arizona. It was an amazing show at the Greek Theatre, which is a beautiful venue located in Griffith Park. This was the first time I travelled to see a concert, and since it has become something that I do often. I've even been back to the Greek Theatre three times since and already have tickets to a show there later this year. During this time, there was still a lot of Covid-19 restrictions in place. Even though it was an outdoor concert venue everyone still wore their masks the whole show and we had to show our vaccination cards upon entry. -
2023-05-15
Analysis of "The School Where the Pandemic Never Ended"
Analyzing a New York Times article entitled, "The School Where the Pandemic Never Ended" through the lens of Daniel Defoe and Thomas Paine -
2020-07-08
Motherless Immigrante Through Covid-19
Before the covid-19 pandemic, I immigrated with my father to the U.S. after my mom's death. It was a fresh beginning, I was living like in a dream, exploring, and being mesmerized by how beautiful and advanced LA is. However, one day everything changed and a lockdown that was supposed to last for 2 weeks, ended up lasting more than a year. At first, it was fun. I was looking at the positive side, doing times I haven't done in a while, watching movies and shows with my dad was incredible fun. However, with time my dad started to worry because he lost his job and did not receive any type of help. He eventually find a job for the summer, but I had too much time by myself that everything I could do was miss my mom. There were days that I didn't see my dad for the entire day because he needed two jobs to be able to pay our expenses and his dad's expenses outside the country. I started to get depressed. School started again but my cheerful character and interest in school never came back. Now, I feel like I am in airplane mode all the time. -
2020-05-30
The Two Sides of COVID
COVID has a double-edged coin valuation for me. 2020 was one of the best years of my life. While that was true for me, the exact opposite was true for so many others around the world. The photograph that is contributed to this archive is one of me and my fiancé, who got engaged in March of 2020, with our two pets and our brand-new vehicle getting ready to drive cross country in May of 2020. I had been let go from my job due to the pandemic, but my fiancé received a promotion, but that promotion required us to move across the country from Los Angeles to Camden, Arkansas. We had been talking about getting out of LA for years and this seemed like a calling from a higher power that it was the right time. This picture symbolizes the pandemic from my personal perspective because this move was the easier move I’ve ever done because everyone was at home, rather than at the hotels, restaurants, and rest stops that we needed to travel to in order to reach our new home. However, it also gave us a unique perspective to see the country without all of the people in it. When we were driving across Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas it was shocking how little traffic there was and how there seemed to be no one around. When we took a flight to check out prospective homes, there was no one on it! It was very strange to experience the isolation of COVID-19 right at the beginning because when we moved to a new town, no restaurants or events were taking place to try and meet people. It became one of the loneliest years of my life. When 2021 came around, things got back to normal in Arkansas and life seemed to begin again. I look back at this photo and remember the excitement of something new, but also the loneliness and isolation it brought. -
2021-04-28
I thought COVID mandates were over
Living in Arizona life has been “normal” for months. I got rid of all the masks in my house, I stopped obsessively sanitizing my hands (I still use it from time to time) and life has kind of just continued. We’ve found this new normal that most are good with, I randomly see people wearing masks but they are definitely not the majority. I thought COVID mandates were a thing of the past, until I went to California. I grew up in the LA area and had seen how different the two states are when I moved. Nothing has made that difference more notable than COVID though. It’s a different world here in California. The first day here I had to buy masks for my family and I. My daughters thankfully reverted to “COVID mode” quite quickly. I see how life has continued in Arizona and wonder how and when California will make that transition. -
2021-10-14
Biden Says Port of Los Angeles Will Operate 24/7 to Ease Logjam That’s Fueling Inflation
The global supply chain crisis has led to some unprecedented steps to regain efficiency. How much more recourse do the public and private sectors have? -
2021-09-21
Lauren Piasecki and Natalie Darquea, Oral History, 2021/09/21
Covid-19 experience at high school students in the US. -
2021-08-15
COVID 19 Vaccination Day Adoption Event
Los Angeles Animal Services is offering free adoptions to people who have been vaccinated and are able to present a vaccination card. -
2021-08-16
from the eyes of a teacher
A friend of mine is a teacher for the Los Angeles School District. She shared on social media how Covid has impacted her school and its students. -
2021-08-14
One person stabbed as COVID anti-vaxxers and counterdemonstrators clash in front of L.A. City Hall
The title of this article quickly caught my attention and then I immediately felt saddened by the reality that this pandemic has been politicized from the beginning. People have become so passionate that they have lost all reason. There are always two sides to every story but I find it so hard to understand who oppose vaccinations and reject science. Its not at all surprising that the anti-vax side of this particular story showed up in MAGA hats, its further proof of the political foundation of their argument to "fight for their rights". I understand that people want the right to decide, but then those same people refuse to get tested regularly. This issue has been a messy and passionate one from the beginning and its really hard not to blame Donald Trump for the misinformation that is still being used by the anti-vax community. -
2021-07-16
A Tale of Two Regions
Since we aren’t getting on a plane any time soon, we road tripped it up to Tahoe. Taking advantage of having our car, we decided to drive out to places we would normally never visit, such as Sutter’s Mill and Donner Pass. As my husband called it, it was the Huell Howser California Gold tour. Something that was immediately noticeable was the rarity of people wearing masks around Tahoe and through the desert. Though mask mandates were lifted in CA June 15 for the vaccinated, I’d say about 50% of people still wear them (including my family) where we live. However, out in the more rural deserts and mountain areas, there was not a mask to be seen. I thought it was extremely interesting at Sutter’s Mill, which is a state park a couple of hours from Sacramento. The Park Rangers all wore masks indoors, and signs indicated unvaccinated must wear masks indoors. However, the tour of Sutter’s is all outdoors, with the exception of going into some of the historic buildings. I was a little nervous because I worried about my unvaccinated children going on a tour with possibly unvaccinated strangers who wouldn’t have to wear masks. However, when the tour began, I noticed all the families (all strangers to us) on the tour were wearing masks. Our docent asked each family where they were from and we were all from Los Angeles or Orange County. We all remained masked the whole tour. Our docent even commented “you know you can take off your masks outside?” He said it really nicely, but everyone remained masked. This regional difference was extremely interesting to me. I suppose Southern Californians may have a different way of thinking because our case counts were so incredibly high during the winter that they built field hospitals and ambulances were unable to pick up patients. Maybe that has made us more cautious. It was a literal war zone with the enemy being an invisible virus. Or maybe it’s just that every family on our tour took the same kind of vacation we did for the same reason - wanting a vacation but wanting to be outdoors, avoiding planes, and being able to safely distance. Donner State Park also had COVID protocol still in effect, with their interactive displays turned off. -
2021-07-18
Shifting Back
My family was certainly filled with hope and a bit of relief when our county’s numbers began to steady at 30 cases a day with a positivity rate below 0.5 by June. However, we didn’t let down our guard. My husband’s best friend since childhood is an MD with the county and in May told us the Delta variant is here. We asked what that means and he said “well, outdoors you should be okay, but wear a mask indoors and don’t let anyone breathe on you.” He said this knowing we’re vaccinated and that our two kids, one being his goddaughter, are not old enough to get the vaccine. Numerous times since summer started I ruefully told my husband and mom “enjoy it while we can” because I think we all knew a spike would come once California lifted its COVID restrictions on June 15. It’s taken only a few weeks for LA to return to 1000 cases per day, and where we live in OC, daily cases have jumped from 30 a day to 150 a day in two weeks. Yesterday, the case count was 250 for one day. The variant is here. LA is taking swift action. Effective today, LA’s mask mandate is back in place for unvaccinated and vaccinated alike. It was immediately noticeable when we picked up dinner at King’s Hawaiian. The outdoor tent is up for to go orders pick up and mask mandate signs are posted. Honestly, if people just accepted the practice of wearing masks, I really do think it could help us return to pre June 15 levels. The report I read this week indicated that 100% (which sounds crazy, but it was cited) of the COVID hospitalizations in LA county are unvaccinated. It’s so strange to me that it is the unvaccinated who are so against wearing masks. I’m honestly wearing my mask to protect them, statistics seem to indicate if I get Delta, it should be mild. I just wish my kids could get the vaccine. Oh well, here’s to hoping the mask mandate comes back in the OC, too. -
2021-07-28
Public Safety Alert
I always get a reality check of how different Arizona is handling the pandemic when I visit my family in California. Life has been back to "normal" here in Arizona for a while now. Masks are rarely seen, the number counts are not reported as much and coverage of vaccination sites is rare. In California, it is obvious that life has not yet returned to normal. There is no distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated, since no one is allowed to ask, everyone is asked to still wear masks. I was surprised to get this public safety alert while at my cousin's house last week. I feel like it was a reminder that life shouldn't be "normal" that we are still living through a pandemic and the storm has not yet passed. I wonder how people in Arizona would react to public safety messages like this one. -
2021-07-30
Mask up!
My cousins shared this adorable picture of her masked dog on social media. Although masks are a thing of the past here in Arizona, they are still very much used in Los Angeles. People here in Arizona are dreading the idea of having to put them back on and in Los Angeles people are almost glad that they never really let them go. -
2021-07-28
A trip to Central America
My family recently went on our first trip since before COVID. My husband is an ER doctor in Los Angeles and saw how the pandemic ravished our city. Getting away was necessary for all of our mental health. We were all vaccinated and tested before going and then tested again before coming back. I remember an interesting conversation with some locals that I wanted to share with the archive. While talking about the pandemic with some locals my husband was asked about his thoughts on the vaccine. He said he trusted the work of the scientists who developed the vaccine and he trusted the CDC enough to get it. The locals let him know they were not vaccinated and were not planning on it because of the side effects they had heard of. The first being that those who were being vaccinated faced possible death within the first two years. My husband politely said he had been vaccinated and felt very much alive. The second one was that it caused homosexuality. I wasn’t sure if I should be sad or surprised at that one. Such great ignorance over a vaccine that has already saved so many lives. -
2020-03-09
the offer of hope
I took this photo at LAX on March 9, 2020. My father died suddenly the evening before. The Coronavirus was beginning to change our daily lives. Little did I know that this trip would be the last for many months. Each day offers us a chance for a new beginning. I hope we remember the lives lost. I hope we remember the quiet beauty of an empty city. I hope we remember the gratitude we felt for all the doctors, nurses, service workers, delivery drivers, teachers and frontline workers. I hope we remember the creative outlets we found. For all the missed birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, barbeques and gatherings, I hope we now embrace one another in the joy of each new day. -
2021-07-21
2,551 cases in one day.
The Los Angeles Times reports "L.A County health officials say the number of cases has increased twentyfold over the last month." Clear evidence that we are not out of the woods, COVID is still around and people are still dying. I wonder if anyone is still paying attention. -
2020-04-19
The call has been answered
The article discusses the surge of pet adoptions from shelters during the pandemic. -
2021-07-14
Los Angeles Covid Cases Up 500% Over Past Month; Test Positivity Rises Nearly 700% As Delta Variant Takes Hold
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 1,103 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday. It’s the fifth consecutive day cases have been over 1,000. For perspective, one month ago, the 5-day average of cases was 201. Today the 5-day average is 1,095; this is an increase of more than 500% in just one month. That increase has come even as testing has dropped precipitously, which means the actual rise of infections is likely much greater as there are fewer chances to identify cases. -
2021-05-19
New Dawn, New Day
Nina Simone’s iconic version of "Feeling Good" plays as I put the last touches on my final painting for the We Rise L.A. project. Nina sings: “It's a new dawn It's a new day It's a new life For me And I'm feeling good I'm feeling good” My gouache (opaque watercolor) and ink artworks on paper, explore morning light, morning life, and the hope engendered by the dawn of a new day. Sourced from my memories of travel, these paintings reflect morning journeys, rituals, and routines. This series was created in partnership with We Rise LA for Mental Health Awareness and 18th Street Arts. My 41 works of art were created as messages of hope, beauty, wellbeing, and self-compassion. Nina sings: “Oh, freedom is mine And I know how I feel It's a new dawn It's a new day It's a new life” -
2021-04
Pandemic Street Art: Lauren YS/squidlicker and #stopaapihate
Los Angeles-based artist Lauren YS, aka squid.licker, is well known world-wide for their mural street art. During the pandemic, they put up a mural at 1700 Naud Street in Los Angeles that reads, "Stop Asian Hate Crimes" and "Protect Our Elders." Also shown are "Stop Asian Hate" posters, with proceeds going to @stopasianhate and @squidtropica. -
2020-06-19
Pandemic Street Art: collab by Menace and Resa
These are screenshots of the Instagram account that represents collaborative artwork by muralists Menace and Resa. The "UNITY" mural is in South Central Los Angeles, California and was done "in response to pandemic fueled anti-Asian hate crimes." The "More Justice, More Peace" mural is in Brooklyn, New York and memorializes Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. in celebration of Juneteenth. -
2021-04-18
What made California’s vaccine rollout so difficult?
The Golden state only recently received news that “50% of all eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine." It’s progress and it’s most certainly hope. What gives people even more hope is how they expanded vaccination eligibility to 16 and over as of April 15. Schools are already reopening, but this is good news for those who are still hesitant to return — and for good reason. What made California’s vaccine rollout so difficult? One of the most obvious answers is the size of the state. Its population was recorded to be over 39 million in 2020. Even with an increase in vaccines, with roughly 2.4 million doses in the first week of April alone, it was not enough to accommodate even the 50-64 age group — a population of roughly 7.2 million. Santa Clara County Executive Officer, Jeff Smith, was also quoted to have cited the state's governor for perpetuating the pandemic — that his pandemic approach was “disorganized and petulant.” Although affordable healthcare services is a nationwide pandemic in and of itself, California also deals with fragmented healthcare responsibilities. Distribution is “split up among 58 county governments.” Issues in communication, planning and transportation of vaccines are all major factors impacted by the overwhelming lack of unified leadership. https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1383132361148100609 https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/04/01/as-california-expands-covid-19-vaccine-eligibility-to-all-californians-50-governor-newsom-receives-vaccine-in-los-angeles/ -
2021-04-10
Child Care Concerns Persist Despite Returning to In-Person Instruction in Californian Schools
Californian schools are opening back up, but there continue to be concerns over employees and their families. Although there have been some employees working at schools the past year (i.e. custodians), those working remotely (i.e. teachers) continue to face challenges in child care. Due to this, "Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this week announced it would provide a day care stipend of $500 a month for each child under age 5 to all full-time employees, including teachers." The Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1021) did clarify within the article by Sacramento Bee that some demands could not be met. Among the demands was a one-time stipend amount of $1,500 for employees with children aged 3 - 14. This is an ongoing issue with its latest update on April 10, 2021 being: a weekly stipend of $125 for employees with children aged under 14. This represents one of the issues employees of educational institutions are facing. They’re hesitant to return to in-person instruction. Although there’s a fair amount of news coverage of children returning to school, the ones hesitant (especially those responsible for the school to run smoothly) should also be acknowledged. -
2021-04-09
That time we closed down Figueroa street in protest fighting injustices to the people!
#TBT That time we closed down Figueroa street in protest fighting injustices to the people! - If you saw my recent IG story where the police violated the rights of a black Deaf woman, this is a reminder we need to keep standing up, speaking up for our rights to be treated as a human being. I can not tolerate a world where those with power prey on those who understand thier power. - When I say Black Lives Matter this what I stand for everything else you see is just noise and will push away because all I know is Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Stand with Me. Let's do our part to shape a better world. Power to the People all the time.✊🏿 - 📷 Gratitude @aanaconda -
2021-01-14
1 person dies every 6 minutes: How L.A. became the nation's largest coronavirus hot spot
LOS ANGELES — In Los Angeles County, 10 people on average test positive for the coronavirus every minute. Every six minutes, someone dies from Covid-19, according to county public health data. The startling figures come as Los Angeles became the first county in the nation to record 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. According to county public health officials, roughly 1,003,923 people in L.A. have been infected with the virus and more than 13,000 people have died. The numbers are equally sobering across the state. California has nearly 2.9 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 31,000 deaths, according to NBC News counts. A more contagious variant of the virus has also been detected in the region. -
2021-01-17
Betty White says she's celebrating 99th birthday in quarantine
LOS ANGELES -- The legendary Betty White turns 99 today, and like many others this year, she is planning a birthday in quarantine. White recently spoke with "Entertainment Tonight" about how she will spend the start of her last year as a nonagenarian. "What am I doing for my birthday?" she said. "Running a mile each morning has been curtailed by COVID, so I am working on getting The Pet Set re-released, and feeding the two ducks who come to visit me every day." -
2021-03-29
From California to Pennsylvania over 2020-2021 New Years
This is a 40-minute video that documents, in an entertaining manner, a couple and their cat going on a road trip across the United States during the pandemic (New Years 2020-2021). They began their journey from their house in Los Angeles, California towards their destination of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a matter of 6 days (3000 miles). They shared their experience going state to state, along with the precautions they took while doing so. As the title of the video suggests, “We Moved Across The Country,” they did end up moving to North Carolina. So this video covers what road travel was like as well as moving during the pandemic. -
2021-03-24
Hate Crime at "Stop Asian Hate" Rally
At a "Stop Asian Hate" rally in Los Angeles over the weekend, a man yelling racial slurs drove his car through a red light to target Asian and Pacific Islander protesters in a crosswalk. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and is another example of the rising incidents and attempted incidents of violence against the AAPI community. -
2021-02-24
Rate of Coronavirus Cases Among LAPD Officers Plummeting; Mass Vaccination Slated to Begin Next Week
This article discusses the decline in COVID-19 infection rates among LAPD employees and personnel as their vaccination rates increase. This expected correlation demonstrates the efficacy of the early vaccines despite ongoing concerns at that time about an increasing frequently and number of viral variants across the United States. Additionally, the article addresses concerns of officers who choose not to get vaccinated. At the time of this article, 8 LAPD employees had died from COVID-19 complications and, at one point, more than 20 were testing positive with new infections each day. Those infections have dwindled to about 30 per week, and are likely also a reflection of vaccination among the general population as well as among police officers. -
2021-03-13
Love Our Communities
There are different events happening today - thanks to the organizers across the US for your work. We’ve been learning alongside LA in particular - THANK YOU to all of the organizations + individuals who’ve been working SO hard to make today happen. We love our communities + we are building collecting power. Hope you join this movement. #InSolidarity @ccedla NAME CHANGE: In an effort to amplify our message of solidarity, we are no longer using “Stop Asian Hate” in the title for this event. CCED recognizes that the emphasis on hate crimes limits the scope of the conversation, implying these attacks are merely isolated racist attacks + that policing is the solution. Hate crime legislation funds surveillance but does not actually change the material realities that working class Asian Americans live in. Anti-Asian violence is tied to the collective struggle of BIPOC under white supremacy. We’ve provided some reading materials in our link in bio for folks to learn further! . . Join our communities THIS SATURDAY 3/13 @3:30PM @jamuseum in Little Tokyo (in person or via livestream!) for “LOVE OUR COMMUNITIES: BUILD COLLECTIVE POWER”--a grounding, healing space in the wake of anti-Asian Violence. Meet, collaborate, and build with grassroots organizations doing direct work in Los Angeles Asian American communities. Artwork by Cynthia Yuan Cheng @cynthiaycheng Organized by: Chinatown Community for Equitable Development @ccedla Ktown4BlackLives @ktown4blacklives Tuesday Night Project @tnproject Nikkei Progressives @NikkeiProgressives Sunday Jump @thesundayjump API Equality LA @apiequalityla Kabataang maka-Bayan / Pro-People Youth @kmb_la Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA) Palms Up Academy @palmsupacademy J-Town Action and Solidarity @jtown.action.and.solidarity Hosted by: The Japanese American National Museum @jamuseum **Masks required. Double masking encouraged. Social Distancing required per CDC Guidelines** ADA accessibility + streaming details to be announced. Check out the FB Event Page @ccedla link in bio. [image description - more info on @ccedla page at comments] -
2021-03-17
Heavy hearted and defeated
The rise of anti-Asian crimes has been a focal point of my predominantly Asian and Latinx community, and has increased to a point where our local police are trying to send out messages of reassurance and solidarity. But this isn’t something that comes out of nowhere. It has been bubbling under the surface as long as Asian Americans have lived in this country. The Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Asian citizenship, miscegenation laws, land laws, internment camps, the murder of Vincent Chin, hate crimes against Southeast Asian refugees, the stereotypes, the cheap sitcom jokes and potshots, the dual embrace and distaste of the so-called “model minority.” A year ago, as COVID-19 began to infect our everyday life even prior to shutdown, many of my students recounted racism they faced at the grocery store or other public places, as Asians were made the scapegoat of the pandemic. This racism was not happening in the Midwest, it was happening in diverse Southern California. How many times this year have I had the conversation with students, family, and friends about the otherness that is associated with being Asian in America? As half of an interracial marriage with an Asian partner, I have seen first hand the comments. Going to Disney World and having my husband joke that he had seen one and a half Asians that week, himself and my daughter - and seeing the stares. Comments from Disney World or airport employees who stared at us and said in a off putting tone, “you must be from California or Hawai’i,” to which I shot back with “why, because we’re so happy and relaxed?” They didn’t crack a smile. Or my husband’s best friend, who in medical residency in Kansas City was approached in a Panera Bread with a man saying “whaaa, you want to fight Bruce Lee” and being asked by his medical resident roommates to translate Ninja Warrior for them because he “knows Chinese” (he’s third generation Japanese American). The friend in grad school in Michigan who, while walking down the street, was met by women who held the corners of their eyes and chanted “ching chong, ching chong.” Never once has anyone repeated the question “where are you from” when I tell someone I am from California. My Asian American husband is always asked at least twice. Also from California, when he responds to the simple question of where is he from with “California,”there is always the tone change and the slowed down, “No, where are you FROM?” Because the underlying, uncomfortable reality is that apparently if you’re Asian, you can’t be “from” America. Your identity is forever a hyphen. But this was not part of the public conscience until recently. With the rhetoric of leadership that continually blamed China for COVID-19, using ethnically offensive names, the acts of racism my students were experiencing in March have evolved into full fledged violence and crime, peaking yesterday with a shooting. Here we are in another moment when COVID-19 has uncovered the ugliness that lies beneath the surface in a country that calls itself a democracy. A country where the police spokesperson tried to explain away the targeted murder of eight Asian women yesterday by saying the Caucasian male shooter was having a “bad day.” No justice, no peace sounds hollow when you wonder if there ever will be either. -
2020-08-17
Surprise Birthday Driveby
It was my 64th Birthday and I was down and out on the couch with Corona Virus. I got a phoncall from my daughter asking me to go to the front window. I told her I could barely get off the couch and I had a fever. She told me to bring my phone and video tape my grandson skateboarding. He had just learned a few new tricks. So I managed to make it to the window and to my surprise horns started blowing and cars began driving by my front window. It was a Birthday drive by ! I was in shock. They truly fooled me ! At first I couldn't tell who all these people were but after they circled around a couple of times I began recognizing people. It was my family and friends. They came from as far as Los Angeles County. Even my 96 year old mother was there ! I truly felt love -
2020-05-15
Why Covid-19 is a Social Justice Issue
From the article: People are like gardens: they require the right seeds to be planted, watered and nurtured in order to grow, but if neglected, will never produce the full harvest of their potential. For decades, Black people have been starved of the investments, the systems of care and quality environments that are needed for sustained, healthy growth and development as a people. For even a rose, as the writer Nikki Giovanni reminds us, can bloom from the concrete, if we give it the resources, care and love it deserves. -
2021-01-25
A Semester of Outfits
I haven’t grown in height since junior high school, and, as a result, I have A LOT of clothes. As sort of a fun game for myself and my students, I do not repeat an outfit through the 180 days of the school year. When school shut down in March, I switched to permanently in joggers, since I no longer left the house. When we began synchronous Distance Learning in August, I knew it was really important for my mental health and to try and portray a sense of normalcy for my students to still dress just like I was going to teach in person in a normal year. Since I don’t get to see all my students five days a week due to our block scheduling format for Distance Learning, I decided to post my outfit to my class Instagram each day, as an “ootd,” just for fun. It’s become sort of an interesting keepsake of my pandemic experience. If you look beyond the outfits and into my eyes you can tell the days I was anxious, worried, tired about the rising case counts, the unknowns, the state of our country, and locally, the true fear of whether they would force us to return to teaching in person. But the pictures also capture that in between the ever rising death toll, wildfires, political discord, racial tension, Capitol riots, life had to keep moving forward. And even during a semester of turmoil, you can see a lot of pictures show joy behind my eyes... and not only when the Dodgers won the World Series, allowing me to retire my 1988 World Series shirt! A new semester starts today, we’ll see what the expression in my eyes says about the state of the pandemic and the world in the weeks to come. -
2021-01-25
statistics
There have been 97.7 total Covid 19 cases in the world. One of those cases was my uncle. Near thanksgiving he wasn't feeling well so he instinctively got a Covid test. About 2 days later he got a call that said he had the virus. This effected our family greatly. We were all worried sick and were praying that he healed. The funny part was, he said it only felt like a regular cold. He did eventually get better and we were thankful to God. -
2021-01-25
COVID-19 Stats and Story
Coronavirus happened so quickly. It is difficult to recall details from March 14 2020. The day my family and thousands of others went into quarantine. March 14 2021 is approaching quickly. Back then it seemed like nobody knew anybody who had the virus. It was all rumors and stories. Now it seems like everybody knows or has had Coronavirus. A prediction is that 1 in 3 people in LA county have had Coronavirus, which is totally insane. Los Angeles county has over 10,000,000 residents. Meaning that about 33,333,333+ people have been infected, many without knowing. Although it is an estimate, that shows how serious this virus is. 1000-3000 (about) people in America die due to Coronavirus each day. About 15,000 people die each day worldwide. There have been almost 100,000,000 Coronavirus cases and 2 Million deaths. 1/70 of the world has been diagnosed, not including those who are asymptomatic and those who were not or do not have access to tests. About 2 million people have died. That is 1/50 of those diagnosed. Seeing these numbers shocks me. It opens my eyes and makes me realize how truly important it is the wear a mask and to be safe. My grandpa, I call him Papa, is getting the first dose of his Coronavirus vaccine tomorrow. I am so excited that he will have immunity. There are 11 cases of Coronavirus in his 200 person retirement home. He is 84 years old. I am so glad that Papa will be safe. He was widowed when my grandma, Grammy about 11 years ago, so I believe she had been his guardian angel just as she has been mine. My final thought is that I cannot wait for Coronavirus to be cured and for the vaccine to have wider distribution. -
2021-02-25
COVID Statistics
As of now, there have been roughly 100.17 million COVID cases worldwide. Of those 100 million people that have had COVID, about 2.14 million have died. This means that the death rate of COVID-19 is about 2%. Most people who get the virus have little to no symptoms, and recover quickly. However, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are more likely to develop complications because of COVID (respiratory tract infection). Luckily, everyone I knew who got COVID were pretty healthy. My cousin Michael, who just graduated from UC David and is training with the Marines, contracted COVID and recovered very quickly. My family cancelled our Christmas celebration in Burbank to prevent my 94 year old grandpa from getting COVID. He is definitely in the high-risk category because of his age. I am thankful that no one close to me has died of COVID, and I pray for those who have passed away. -
2021-05-01T12:30
Covid statistics
In the world there are currently 99.4 million cases and 2.13 million deaths. It's insane that in a little under a year so much damage has been done. The ratio of cases to death doesn't seem too bad if you think of it as numbers. But each number is a person, a person with friends and family who lost their life. In California there are 3.19 million cases, cities like LA with dense population are hotspots for cases. Living in California and very close to LA comes with lots of rules that others states have eased up on. It's hard to grasp the fact that so suddenly we are living through a pandemic. A lot of people have taken this time to improve their life and self but it has also messed up so many peoples lively hoods and metal health. Everyone's adapted to Covid after all this time and things are slowly going back to the original way. Before the first shutdown it was terrifying to think of what the future holds but now its become normal. Its going to feel strange going back. At the end of the day everyone is just trying to keep themselves safe and okay. -
2021-01-25
Statistics of Covid-19
So far worldwide Covid 19 has infected 99.3million people and there have been a total of 2.13 million deaths. In Los angles county there have been a total of 3.19 million cases and 37,118 deaths. Covid 19 has been going on for over a year and we have been in quarantine for nearly a year. We think around New Year's my nana may have gotten Covid- 19 but she just had a sore throat and a bit of a cough it lasted for about 3 weeks and she was fine and now she feels great. I did not like being stuck at home and not being able to go anywhere. I don't think it is smart to close our small businesses and restaurants and keep our huge chain stores open and thriving. I personally think that we should open up all the businesses and restaurants. If someone doesn't agree with that and thinks everything should be shut down then they don't have to go to those restaurants or businesses they can stay home but let people who want to support business go to them. -
2021-01-21
How I have been affected by someone I know testing positive for COVID-19.
I haven't had Corona yet, or I don't think I have, but i certainly know people who have gotten it. In the beginning around April of 2020, everything had just shut down. My family had some friends who were exposed, and they all tested positive for COVID-19 right after we saw them. My family was in shock and we were scared. They began to quarantine, and then we had to quarantine as well because we were then exposed. They all got very sick and luckily no body in my family tested positive, but it was a very scary experience. -
2021-01-22
Tested Positive
In my close circle I haven't had anyone that has been tested positive for Covid-19. In the big circle, there have been a few though. All of them were school related. Some student in school were sent home for a week because one of their students got sick, and one of the teachers in my grade also got sick, but since I was indirectly related I didn't get affected. Most of the times where someone remotely close to me got Covid, I wasn't effected in any way. -
2021-01-22
Covid-19 Symptoms
So far, I have only know two people that have had Covid-19. One of them was my uncle who lives in New Jersey, and the other was a friend of mine who is my age. My family from NJ came to visit us two weeks ago(which included my uncle), and my uncle told us that a few months he had covid-19. He said that he had no symptoms at all, the only way he even knew he had it was because he had to get tested to go back to work. The test came back positive, but he still had not even one symptom. I also have a friend who had covid-19 over winter break. He said that he had no symptoms except for he lost his taste and smell for three days. Those are the only people that I've know who have had covid-19. -
2021-01-22
My grandma and grandpa having Covid-19.
My grandma and grandpa had Covid in November, before thanksgiving. My grandma got it from a nurse that had it from her work and then she got it and passed it on to my grandpa. My grandma had it for 3-4 weeks. She had a fever, cough, lost of taste, shortness of breath, body aches. My grandpa had it for about 2 weeks. He had body aches, headaches and a slight cough. My grandma has to go to the Los Robles Hospital because she had shortness of breath. The doctors helped her by giving her some oxygen, some antibiotics, steroids, plasma with with antibodies, Vitamin D and C, and Zinc. My grandpa did not have to go to the hospital. They are all fine now but that was a little scary when my grandma had to go to the hospital. -
2021-01-22
My Covid Experience
In December of 2019, I believe I had COVID-19. For a few weeks I was coughing uncontrollably, like hyperventilating but coughing. It was terrible, once I started coughing it felt like it never stopped. I had to take Sudafed's, cough drops, and NyQuil even just to fall asleep. It was terrible. I got my whole entire family sick, even my mom! Which was odd because she never, I mean never gets sick. My parents decided to take me to urgent care, where they swabbed my throat. Tested the swab and nothing came back positive. So they decided to do a chest x-ray, and I did not have pneumonia. After all of these tests and x-rays, they just said, we have no idea what she has but she has something. It was kind of scary to hear that. After the next week or so I finally recovered. It was a really rough few weeks and probably the worst cold I had ever had. To wrap up, I believe I had COVID-19 in December 2019. -
2021-01-20
Consider some of the rules or procedures that you have to follow, and tell your feelings about them.
There are so many rules and regulations we have to follow because of the covid 19 outbreak. For example, whenever we are indoors at a restaurant, a grocery store etc. We have to wear a face mask, which are supposedly keeping us from catching the virus. But it who knows if they really are doing anything, sure does not feel like it. In the state of California you can also not eat indoors, all restaurant seating as to be outside, but in LA county they have closed all restaurant seating. All stores currently have a maximum capacity for how many people they are aloud to have in the store at a time. Just for me to get in the store to get groceries or something you have to wait in line! It is really annoying. They have closed hair, and nail salons, so no one can go and get there hair or nails done! Furthermore, to go to certain vacation spots you have to be tested for corona. Like Hawaii, since I am supposed to go for this upcoming ski week, I will have to get a negative covid test before I am aloud on the plain to go to Hawaii. I cannot wait to go back to normal when we do not have all these regulations controlling our lives. -
2020-01-19
Covid Procedures
Because of the arrival of this new virus, Covid, we all need to follow new procedures to keep us safe. The Los Angeles County guidelines state that masks must be worn in public, we need to social distance, and more. The main rule that citizens must follow is to wear a mask. Experts say that masks can lower your chance of transmitting or receiving the virus because it would be harder to be in contact with the air particles. Although the masks are beneficial to keeping us safe, they can also make breathing harder. I personally do not like wearing masks but I respect it. I feel all citizens should respect the rules and wear a mask, even if they do not trust it. Out of all the procedures, we must follow, I wish one day we can stop wearing masks in public and attend big gatherings such as movie theatres and concerts. -
2021-01-28
the beginning
The day before quarantine, I was with my friend and we had both just gone to a birthday. we knew about the virus but not about social distancing and masks. my dad had called me and told me to stay away from anyone. I was confused on why but when I went to Northern California, I realized that the cases in LA started to spike rapidly. from that moment forward, I wouldn't be seeing anybody for the next five months. when I went up there in November, there were few cases. Maybe 50. so when we went out to get food, groceries, or anything like that, I realized nobody really bothered to wear a mask. of course my family still did but we ended up getting weird looks from other people for wearing one. it was really strange. -
2021-01-19
The Rules That Did Make Sense and the Many That Didn't
There were a lot of rules and regulations that we had to follow to stop the spread of COVID. Most of them were simple and made sense. Others, didn't... The rules that made sense were simple. Wear a mask; wash your hands often; stay six feet away from others; don't gather in large groups. The rules that had to do with which businesses were allowed to be open, seemed a bit arbitrary... For example, restaurants could open, but bars couldn't unless they served full meals. Retail stores could open with a limited number of customers allowed in at one time, but zoos couldn't. It was perfectly fine for you to wait with 10+ other people outside of a store, but to go to a zoo which was also outdoors apparently meant certain death. The rules that annoyed me the most were the ones regarding school closures. In California, it had been made practically impossible for schools to open. The worst part was that my school was in LA County, by 500 feet! I remember that in April, I went to Carpenteria with my dad and one of his friends. My friend was there too and we were standing about 4 feet apart without masks on. A lifeguard came up to us and started to get kind of mad. The strange thing was that the sign in the parking lot said, "No lifeguard on duty." Overall, the regulations weren't to bad for me, but I was to annoyed with our governor killing small businesses to remember that.