What's It Like? Part V
What’s It Like? is a series exploring the effects of COVID-19 on the lives and wellbeing of people around the world. Hopefully by discussing how this global pandemic is affecting us all individually and collectively, we can help foster a small sense of hope and connectivity in these uncertain times.
We are currently presented with challenges in many forms, and how this might look to each of us can depend on circumstance, resources and even geographical location. These stories will help tell the human side of COVID.
Be well, stay safe and check in with your loved ones. Kia kaha everybody.
Part five is the final part for this series. As we look forward (hopefully about to enter Level 2 in Aotearoa) we are reflecting on how this lockdown has changed our lives over the past six weeks or so, and thinking about the medium and long term effects it will have on our future.
Andy, 25
Queenstown
Independent Marriage Celebrant & Tourism Admin
Bubble of three
What’s it like where you are? On the whole, it feels surprisingly positive. Obviously for a town so heavily reliant on tourism everyone is feeling the mounting weight of post-COVID anxiety, but for the time being people are making the most of isolation.
How are you feeling? It’s a bit of a rollercoaster really. Isolation has been an interesting time, and allowed for a lot of thinking (and drinking!).
How has your work been affected? Weddings just aren’t happening in Queenstown. The next three months have completely cleared out, and even dates that have been rescheduled to later in the year are uncertain. It’s bad enough that this affects my celebrant work, but it’s also my husband Pol’s primary income. In order to pay our mortgage, we may need to re-evaluate our jobs. Isolation has given us lots of time to think about that though, and we might have something in the works…
What are you grateful for? I’m feeling grateful for my fantastic little bubble and the amazing friends and family outside of it, but I’m also very nervous of what’s to come. I’m also grateful for the government providing the wage subsidy.
Tell us something you’re looking forward to: Giving my parents a hug, and sitting down over a meal with my family. An NZ road trip is definitely on the cards too.
How are you coping with isolation? Pretty well—it’s nice to spend so much time with Molly (the dog) and Pol. We usually work pretty hectic and differing schedules, so it’s been a great opportunity to realign with one another. We celebrated our second wedding anniversary with a nice iso-walk followed by a delicious home-cooked Italian meal by candle light. Dreamy.
What’s the biggest change to your daily life right now? That would probably be the sleep schedule. Yes, I know we are supposed to maintain routine—our routine just always begins with a really great sleep-in!
How are you sleeping? Well. Too well.
Share a recent book, podcast or movie you loved: We’ve been watching a great Scottish murder mystery series called Shetland! Your go-to murder mystery with great accents, and in a beautiful moody setting.
Wendy, 56
Richmond
Office Manager
Bubble of two
What’s it like where you are? Mostly rather quiet and peaceful. We’re lucky to live in such a lovely part of the country.
How has your work been affected? The main change is I’m working from home. It’s amazing how much I can get done with fewer distractions!
What are you grateful for? The way so many of us are trying so hard to protect others by staying in our bubbles.
Tell us something you’re looking forward to: Being able to change my library books and my dog is looking forward to going out in the car again!
How are you sleeping? I’m actually sleeping better because I’m not setting an alarm for work—since it doesn’t take long to get to the dining room!
What’s the best thing you’ve cooked or eaten in the past week? Chicken fricassee. It’s such a comfort food.
Share a recent book, podcast or movie you loved: We’ve been watching a lot of 8 Out of Ten Cats Does Countdown—it’s great to have things to laugh at!
“I’m actually sleeping better because I’m not setting an alarm for work—since it doesn’t take long to get to the dining room!”
Anonymous, 29
Auckland
Flight attendant
What are some of the additional challenges you’re facing at work due to COVID-19? Social distancing isn’t a thing on aircraft. As much as the company and MOH wants it to be, people still line up next to each other for the bathroom and walk into the galleys in the night for a glass of water and a snack. And because it’s ingrained in us from day one at service training we hand it to them with a smile, albeit behind our masks now because that’s a mandatory thing, along with gloves. Time off at outstations looks completely different. After working a twelve-hour flight you usually just want to have dinner and a drink with the crew then faceplant your bed. These days it’s just running out to grab some food and bring it back as quickly as you can. So it means putting on a fresh mask and gloves and heading out into the community in LA where they have 10,000+ cases of COVID-19. It’s nerve-racking to say the least. You grab whatever food is going and head back to the hotel room to strip off the mask and gloves, wash your hands and disinfect everything you touched. You eat dinner alone in your room and pray to God you don’t take COVID-19 back to your loved ones in your bubble back home.
How has your relationship with work changed as a result of COVID-19? Due to COVID-19 and the obvious downturn in travel I will probably lose my job. It’s my dream job. A job I’ve had for a decade now and one I thought I would never leave, well at least not like this. I’m angry, upset and feel so lost along with my colleagues. I’m bitter that the government money can’t help save our jobs, but I’m also hopeful that I’ll return to the skies one day.
What are you grateful for? My amazing support network of family, friends and my husband for being an amazing bubble buddy. When I got back from doing a repatriation flight recently I was deemed to be a close contact to someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. Due to my husband being in the same bubble as me, neither of us could go to the supermarket for two weeks and heavily relied on family dropping off groceries at our doorstep.
What's something you're looking forward to? Giving the biggest hugs to my parents.
Share a recent book, podcast, TV series or movie you loved:
My husband and I have plowed through A LOT of Netflix. Just finished binging I Am Not Okay With This and it was amazing! Perfect for the way we are all feeling at the moment.
Tom, 25
Queenstown
Financial Analyst
Bubble of three (myself, parents and Oscar the dog)
What’s it like where you are? I’m usually based in Auckland, but my lease was up and when the lockdown was announced I packed up my life and caught one of the last flights to the South Island. It’s fairly normal at home, we live a bit out of town among the hills. Dog walks, gardening & gathering firewood haven't changed. Going through Queenstown however is very bizarre. There's no hustle of tourists, no bumper-to-bumper cars parked throughout town (I didn't realise we had so many car parks until I saw them all empty!) and no queue outside Ferg Burger (first time in a decade surely?).
How are you feeling? Fine—not a bad place to be isolated, and temporarily saving on rent/food is a definite plus.
How has your work been affected? Many projects were quickly put on hold; but new opportunities to help our clients (both private & public sector) during this time has been interesting, challenging and fulfilling work. So a change in what I do, but only a temporary (two week?) dip in activity.
What are you grateful for? I'm still employed, have my health, and – because I managed to get to QT before the flights stopped – not homeless!
Tell us something you’re looking forward to: A few drinks & dinner with a large group of mates: silly irrelevant yarns before heading out for a gig.
How are you coping with isolation? Have had Zoom catch ups with people all over the world, which kept me feeling connected.
What’s the biggest change to your daily life right now? No daily commute (extra sleep!), and exercise now being dictated by an app.
What is something fun you’ve done in the past week? Google Hangout Pub Quiz (BYO beer), using Kahoot!
What’s the best thing you’ve cooked or eaten in the past week? Mum's just baked a carrot cake and a pear cake, so I'm going to be having a lot of tea & coffee breaks this week...
What are you listening to currently? Weekly isolation mixes from DJs who are stuck at home (YouTube/Soundcloud). Check out Disclosure's Kitchen Mix or Hayden James's Backyard Live Streams.
Share a recent book, podcast or movie you loved: Sapiens (and its sequel, Homo Deus) by Yuval Noah Harari—if ever there was a time to reflect and subjectively look at the human race!
“Mum’s just baked a carrot cake and a pear cake, so I’m going to be having a lot of tea & coffee breaks this week...”
Ruby, 27
St Heliers, Auckland
Bubble of three + Caesar the dog
What’s it like where you are? We are very fortunate to live in a beautiful neighbourhood close to the beach, with a dog that insists on getting us out of the house often for walks.
How are you feeling? Like a caged animal, but not an aggressive one like a lion or tiger. Possibly a caged monkey, who would like to get out and explore, but will make the best of it while I’m in here. Also reasonably easily entertained picking my own fur.
How has your work been affected? I have had most upcoming jobs cancelled or postponed across the several industries I work in which has been a blow and my work life is looking very uncertain. But with so many others in the same boat it feels more like a collective thing and less like a hit to me personally.
What are you grateful for? My little bubble. I’m fortunate to be able to get a hug when I need one. Everyone going this alone is doing an incredible thing, especially my mum, I miss her!
Tell us something you’re looking forward to: Wearing shoes that aren’t sneakers or slippers. Preferably to a bar that will serve a spicy margarita.
How are you coping with isolation? I think the biggest challenge for me is the stress and anxiety of the unknown, not knowing what life will look like in the coming months and years. I’m trying to combat this with mindfulness and focusing on things within my control.
How are you sleeping? With a dog that snores. Waking up anxious at 2am slightly more often than usual.
What’s something fun you’ve done in the past week? I was a personal trainer for five years, so I’ve been enjoying getting creative with programming to create team workouts. I’m not sure the rest of the household categorises these as fun.
What’s the best thing you’ve cooked or eaten in the past week? My teriyaki chicken donburi bowls with all the trimmings have seemed to be the biggest hit. Recreating meals I’ve missed being able to purchase has been keeping me busy.
What are you listening to currently? I’ve just been doing an interpretive dance in the kitchen to Miss You by The Rolling Stones, thinking about friends and family outside our bubble.
Share a recent book, podcast or movie you loved: I binged the Dying For Sex podcast recently and adored the frank, hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking conversations about when terminal illness and sexual exploration coincide. Many tears were shed during episode six.
Rebecca, 24
Marlborough Sounds
Public Servant
Bubble of five
What’s it like where you are? It’s beautiful! We’re way out in the Sounds and have no road access, so have been doubly isolated during lockdown. I feel very lucky to be spending time in such a beautiful part of the country with family I don’t normally get much time with.
How are you feeling? Throughout the lockdown and Level 3 I’ve been cycling through feeling very exhausted by having so much routine in my life, and sad about starting to return to normal again. Also feeling very grateful for my better than usual living situation during the lockdown.
What’s the best thing you’ve cooked or eaten in the past week? I made handmade pasta for the first time which was delicious! Mostly just making and eating many more carbs than usual. I’ve really enjoyed the time to flex my cooking skills on my bubble.
Share a recent book, podcast or movie you loved: I must be a couple of years behind the rest of the world on this, but I read Normal People at the start of lockdown, and it was amazing! Can’t wait to watch the TV series adaptation.