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mundane
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2021-03-17
A Child’s Reflection
We’ve had my 10 year daughter journal her thoughts during the past year from time to time, and they’ve ranged from mundane (“we made a fort”) to outraged (“Black people are being hurt in this country and not being heard”), so I was curious what her reflection on a year in quarantine would be. Interestingly, her reflection is overall positive. This surprised me a bit, since she is doing online learning through the end of the school year, missed an entire season of competitive gymnastics and has not had a Girl Scout meeting in person in over a year. I’ll admit I’m relieved that her inner thoughts are about Minecraft, playing in our flooded backyard, and continuing to practice gymnastics at home rather than focusing on all that she’s missed. It makes me think that though this year has impacted my kids that to them, their childhood is still pretty normal. Now I just have to break it to her that when she returns to in person instruction next year, she won’t be able to listen to her music during class! -
2021-01-21
When Mundane Days Become Commonplace
To be honest, when it was first announced that there would no longer be in person school last year, I was pretty excited. I knew about the terrible things happening where Covid originated and that it was spreading rapidly, but all I could focus on was that I had been gifted a second summer break. However, like most things, staying at home every single day eventually turned into a negative. Everyday seemed like another day and the weekends lost their value. The situation really dawned down on me when Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year came and went without even a second look. Holidays I tremendously enjoyed in the past no longer had the same spirit and it felt just like another week. Yet I should feel grateful since nothing has changed. I've been lucky to avoid the serious effects of the pandemic so I guess I should count my lucky stars that fate handed me mundane days instead of no days at all. -
2020-05-06
HIST30060: Trying to create a Place of Greater Safety
HIST30060: I read this quote during the first Victorian lockdown, and I completely resonated with it. The isolation of lockdown had somehow made the biggest event of my life, and possibly the century, feel repetitive, mundane and even boring. It was strange to me that I could accurately describe a crisis atmosphere as dreary, in a way I would never before have been able to understand. -
2020-06-17
The pandemic experience
In Bhutan the first positive cases tested was a foreigner or a tourist. When we heard that we have one virus affected person, the country was statue for once. His wife and the Bhutanese tourist guide were next suspected cases in Bhutan. Even the family of guide was suspected and all the restaurants he stayed was also suspected. Guide's family and workers were quarantined for the first time for two weeks. All the citizens were horrified, scared, worried, perhaps there was mixed feelings inside. After two weeks they were all tested negative which was relieve for a country. After the incident, the government of Bhutan started contacting Bhutanese citizens outside Bhutan, the students, workers and officials. They were kept under correct guidance to save themselves from being affected. As day passes by, government started sending planes to get them. The government of Bhutan had already prepared the hospitals and segregated the places to people coming from outside. The highly equipped with facilities resorts were booked by government. The isolation places were also prepared beforehand. The King of Bhutan and government of Bhutan, in collaboration initiated to the citizens, also constructed houses, reduced taxes, prepared rations, introduced apps to scan, started training more Desung's for duty, Bhutan Broadcasting Service started new program called 'Chikthuen' to entertain people in quarantine. They invite health officials to update about the coronavirus in country, they also invite government officials to inform and share their plans about the improving things in country. One of quarantined student who returned from outside blogged in YouTube, she was happy to be quarantined in Bhutan, as they get all the facilities starting from toothpaste and brush. She says that it was very pleasure that they are equipped with all the needs and wants in Bhutan, but she also shares that it was mundane to be quarantined indoor for longer period as we have never been locked throughout the history. The government of Bhutan has taken good measures to improvise the system of education. Since Bhutan have never experienced the technological life, it is hard for students get used to it. Of course we used to get touch with desktop in schools and colleges, but we never studied and taught from online. The biggest issue of almost all the students is that they can’t study well and they can’t focus on what they are being taught. However, the government had order that school going students will be taught from BBS television, while college students are meant to cop up with online teaching and learning. As a student we are thankful to our government that they are protecting and concerning about us, however as a pandemic grows it will be even difficult to decide our future. There’s fear, anger, worrisome, uncomfortable and unbalanced feelings in the mind of all the people. The way of living was completely changed in country; in the markets, in hospitals, homes and towns. In the town and markets we walk with mask on mouth, with distance from friends and families that we had been together till now. In general every step was observed by duties, Desung’s and polices. It was very indifferent from all the history throughout the history. As positive cases goes up, the fear grows, develops sorrow, becomes unstable and feels dizzy that one day will my family or friend survive out of this pandemic? It was one morning that; I was checking instagram, suddenly at once there was 10 new positive cases at the pace of shock and fear, I wondered will there be death cases and will the positive cases grow even more tomorrow. Nevertheless, I was confirmed that due to existence of dual system of government in Bhutan; the political and religion. While political takes care of people with its developmental laws and on the other hand religious takes initiative to perform many types of ritual for the benefit of all the sentient beings. So, Bhutanese believes that, due to religious blessings we are safe and sound without any death cases till now. it doesn’t mean that we are back to normal, how much we are blessed or how much we get used to social medias; we still have unbalanced and mixed feelings inside that developed since pandemic. We are advised to stay indoor; the streets were found only with couple of people, schools and colleges were closed. It was uneasy to use social media every day; the life was mundane, sudden dynamic, the sudden indifferent lives thus introduced. -
2020-03-28
Grace Papagno
I have spent the first half of my life being angry at my mother, and the second half forgiving her. She was insensitive, narcissistic, and at times, downright cruel. There were, of course, reasons, explanations, and perhaps understandings of my mom’s behavior and I have made a lifetime study of her so that I would not be like her as a mother. And I was not. I even published a memoir about life with her and after her. Now, in the time of Corona Virus, I find myself attributing many of my strengths to my mother. I have not been frightened by this pandemic. Rather, I think I’m coming into my finest hour. I am strong, positive, and yes, even happy. When I was a child, my mother would not “allow” me to be sick. There was no sympathy for illness. If I “chose” to be ill, I would have to stay in bed, eat nothing but tea and toast, and there was absolutely no TV nor friends. I was, after all, “sick.” With that scenario, I did not miss a day of school from third grade throughout high school. Now it is as if my body refuses to harbor a virus. I do take the prescribed precautions, but I do not even entertain the thought or fear of this virus. I do sense that if I did contract it, I would not be stopped by it. My mother would not allow me to watch TV if the sun were shining, and so I learned the joy of the outdoors. “Go outside and play,” was her mantra on the non-school days. As an adult, I quickly learned that gardening is “playing in the dirt for adults,” and so now, isolated, I spend the sunny days – even the cold ones, out in my yard, either cleaning it up, laying down compost, or planting seeds. I do not turn on the television until after I’ve practiced my piano lesson and cleaned up the dinner dishes. Even then, I am so tired from the day, I only watch TV for an hour or so before I am off to bed. Busying herself with her job and caring for her home, my mother had little or no time to share with me. “Get busy. Do something. Read a book or something,” was her order of the day. At age seven I taught myself to use the sewing machine; at eight I learned to knit. I embroidered and did crewel work. Later in life I took watercolor painting classes and resumed piano lessons with a magnificent teacher. I got busy. I seem not to have enough time in each day here, isolated at home, to catch up on my pastimes. Now in the day of COVID-19, I finally have time to do all the things I love to do without being interrupted for social events or volunteer promises. And whom do you think I attribute all the myriad interest, health, and self-sufficiency I find myself graced with – my mother, who unwittingly gave me the tools to find joy in isolation and meaning in the mundane. I am doing fine in this time of the pandemic. Thank you, Mom.