Items

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  2020-03-30

  At Home with My Cats

  Like so many others, I lived by myself and had to navigate the pandemic alone. Except that I was not truly alone. My cats kept me moored; an unwavering source of joy and companionship during those uncertain times. I took this photograph the day I decided to go back to college.
• 
  2020-07-29

  What Got me Through the Pandemic!

  The pandemic was a really tough time for me. Apart from not being able to see my friends and visit family, I was unable to work, I was taking care of my sick grandmother and I wholeheartedly took on the responsibility of maintaining a household. I neglected my mental health and ignored my physical well being and overtime the effects of stress were visible on my face. Eventually I started to neglect my responsibilities and would remain in my room for days at a time, not eating, not showering and not speaking. It was evident that I was experiencing some depressive symptoms. To combat this I had to change my habits and began writing these little manifestations and used them as mantras everyday just to get out of bed. I wrote them on a long white sheet and hung it on my closet door because it was often the first thing I saw when I woke up. They really helped me start my days with a positive mindset. Even though this was created during the mandatory quarantine for COVID-19 over the course of 2020, I find that they are still helpful when I am feeling stressed and need a mood boost. NB: this was not created all in one day. The first line was made in July when I was having a really hard day and decided to cut off all my hair. The others were added gradually over the rest of the pandemic with the latest edition being “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY” in November 2022 because I started working again but had to be out of bed at 5am every morning. This is the name of a song by Amarae ft Moliy which I played every day taking the train on my way to work as motivation for being on time. In the picture you will see that there's space for lots of additions and I plan to add more in the future.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Light to the Darkness

  This picture I'm submitting is a picture of the rosary I've had hanging on the headboard of my bed since when I had covid. On April 3, 2020 I woke up to have some banana pancakes and my tea and discovered I couldn't taste anything and then tried to smell my perfumes and couldn't smell anything either. I knew it was covid. I was afraid and at night I'd cry and be anxious to the point where my anxiety made it hard to breathe and would think it was because of the virus. It was then that I realized my faith lacked. I got out of bed and went to get that rosary hanging with the rest that my mom had and I started praying. For the next couple of days leading to Easter Sunday, I'd pray and feel comfort knowing I had my rosary there. It made my days with the virus, bearable. A year and a half later, I still have my rosary hanging there. It has helped make everyday bearable and reminds me to continue having faith.
• 
  2021-02-12T12

  The Celebration of Chinese New Year

  I photographed this picture at the time of Chinese New Year. Even though we all live in Brooklyn, we reduce the time of visit because of the high infection rate. Finally, we got a moment to sit together and chat about the things that happened this past year (After making sure everyone is safe to attend this short and small dinner time).
• 
  2020-04-05

  New York Through the Pandemic

  I am uploading pictures during the pandemic that I took. It shows how empty the streets/bridge were that are normally crowded with thousands of people and cars.
• 
  2020-04-01

  Jupinese JuJu Covid-19 video

  Since March 2020, the Hungry March Band, for which I have played tenor sax for about 20 years, has been on pause. We have not met, rehearsed, or done a gig this whole time. The only thing we have done is to create a few Covid-19 videos, in which everyone gets to have a different panel, since we can't all be together-then the editors mash everything together. This one is to the music of one of our oldest songs, Jupinese-JuJu. What I particularly love about the video is that we included shots of long time fans, emeritus members, and their families. I put in a couple of screen shots of me and my spouse (he's the pillow man) and a link to the video on Youtube.
• 
  2020-09-18

  The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Catio

  I work at Brooklyn College, but since we have been working remotely, I have been staying in Maine. I have two cats, and perhaps foolishly, I was letting them go out into the great outdoors every day. It wasn't very long before they began hunting and killing little animals-fighting with other cats-even disappearing over night one time. I was getting very stressed out worrying about the cats-this also seemed a ridiculous concern to me in the middle of a terrible time when it has been a struggle to deal with bad news every day; people losing their work, their art, their friends and relatives. Some inspiring news as well, like the #blacklivesmatter #BLM protests, but always the good was in reaction to some atrocity. It seemed as if there was constantly some piece of toxic news as well as some dead animal from the cats every day. I'm not sure how I stood it so long; the whole summer, really. Finally, I woke up on the morning of September 18 to read that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died. I thought, there is absolutely nothing now to stop all of our civil rights from being curtailed, the environment from being ravaged, the election from being stolen; so many things that the world has had really for a very short time may well soon be taken away, all because RBG has passed before an election could wrest control from the vicious party in power. When I read the headline I think I screamed out, Oh, no! and started crying. I cried all day long; I had to leave my husband by himself and go for a long walk in the woods alone. I came home completely drained, but calm. The next day, when I let the cats out, they both returned in about 10 minutes, each with a dead animal clamped in their jaws. I thought, I've had enough. I made the decision in that moment not to let my cats out anymore. Since they are now indoor-outdoor cats, that has been very difficult. Yowling, door-dashing, vomiting, even peeing on things: they have done everything they could to make me change my mind. To make it possible for them to enjoy the outdoors, but without killing squirrels, chipmunks, voles, moles, snakes, baby gophers, field mice, and even the occasional bird, also to keep myself from going wild with grief and fear after RBG's death, I took a bunch of scrap lumber from the shed, bought netting and staples, and I built the "Catio" (an outdoor enclosure for cats). While I worked on it, I couldn't hear the miaows of woe from inside the house, and by the time it was finished my heart had poured out some of the bitterness that it holds, for the fact that a new, right wing, anti-liberal supreme court justice can be voted on at any moment. It's just a matter of how soon. I am no carpenter, so my hands were full of splinters and I was bone-weary when I was done. The cats went into their catio with excitement, and tested every corner of it to see if they could escape. I followed them with my stapler and my zip ties, tightening it up. They are not completely satisfied with the catio, but it is a whole lot better than nothing. I've started to supplement by taking them for walks on leashes in the front yard, and who knows, when the next really toxic news cycle comes around, I may well build a bigger, better catio. I want to be a responsible pet owner, and protect the environment-maybe I can't control the terrible big things that go wrong, but I can do just a little bit that I can in my own way.
• 
  2020-03-13

  Hope?

  Before the lockdown, life seemed so ''normal''. Who knew the new norm would be to wear a mask, carry a hand sanitizer at all times and maintain a six feet distance from others. After being told that everyone has to quarantine from going outside to staying indoors all day. Most importantly, everything became remote. Therefore classes and being overwhelmed by work while not being able to go outside was really taking a toll on my physical and mental health. What gave me a ‘’ray of hope’’ was strangely enough my window. I never thought that looking outside of a window would show me what life has come to and what tomorrow has to offer. Every time I would feel anxious, overwhelmed and in need of a breather I would walk myself to my window. I would just look outside and see the vacant streets. Though it was making me feel ungrateful for how I used to never enjoy looking outside the window, when the children would occupy it. As looking outside my window became a habit I came to realize what didn't change before Covid-19 and now. What did change is the beautiful birds chirping, the beautiful weather, and the rising sun and sunset ensuring yet another day and hope. It is hard to be optimistic at such times but my window made me appreciative of the things I used to take for granted. Such as going outside for a stroll or taking a moment to just appreciate the smallest things around me. Looking outside my window did ensure another day. It endured me just like how the sun and singing birds things will change and indeed for the better. Yeah the sun goes down and the birds leave for their nest but to return for the next day. I've made this a ritual of a sort to walk by my window and take a moment and to be appreciative for what today has to offer. We may not be living in the best of times but tomorrow we'll look back and tell the tales of quarantine and covid-19 to our children and perhaps our grandchildren.
• 
  2020-09-27

  The Ones We Have Lost

  Throughout this unexpected pandemic, many have lost a family member, a friend, or someone they knew. It has truly been a tragic event in history. Like many others, I lost someone I was very close with. My grandma was my best friend, she raised me as a kid, and though me the things I know and follow now. Her name was Maria and she lived in the Dominican Republic, she died at the age of 83. Many people in the neighborhood she lived in had gotten sick due to the virus. Slowly she too was getting sick. Her neighborhood was considered as a red zone which meant that the virus was spreading fast. Many of these people live with the majority of their families in one house. My grandma did not get the virus as she was very cautious. She had pulmonary edema and it was what caused her death. I told my mom that I wanted to go and be with her, my uncle had died a week before and I did not want my grandma to be without me. My grandma was buried the same day she died, without a goodbye she went away. So far away she was, I didn’t even a last hug or a last I love you. I lost many people due to COVID, but this one hurt me the most. I wanted to dedicate this story to all those we have lost. Their memories will forever remain with us, in our hearts. Although they died alone in a bed, they each knew they were loved and it was just simply their time to leave. My mama ( grandma) was the funniest human being I knew, I’m glad I took advantage of the time we had. So if you have lost someone just know that I am with you, It’s okay to feel the way you feel. One day we will get to see them again!
• 
  2020-05

  The reality after covid19

  This picture shows how is our life after the pandemic, from children to adult we need to wear mask. We are not able to breath fresh air and its sad that children's need to get used to mask.
• 
  2020-09-26

  protect ourselves to protect each other

  As the picture shows, even though we as a society are fighting a pandemic, we are also fighting inequality. Breonna Taylor deserves justice regardless of what's going on in the world. As you can see, protestors are staying safe with precautionary measures such as gloves, masks, etc. becuase they are not just combatting diseases or viruses; there prepared for police brutality. I would like to take my turn to salute my people for always striving for what's right and for going about it the right way.