Day 47: Groundhog Day – Cairo Style
Day 47: May 12, 2020
Global cases: 4,337,602; Deaths: 292,451
Egypt cases: 10,093; Deaths: 544
Maya Abouelnasr
Multimedia Journalism Sophomore
As soon as I got through my Phil Connors moment during the first week of online classes, and managed to teleport my mind back from Punxsutawney, PA, and out of Groundhog Day the movie, I chose to try and make peace with our “new normal”. It’s been especially irksome wrapping my head around living in a time when I’m staying in because I have to do so, and not because I choose to do so.
My home life is very comfortable and allows me the space and freedom to live as I choose, which might explain why I’m such a homebody, especially here in Cairo. It’s not that I’m anti-social or unadventurous, but strolling aimlessly around a mall, or hanging out at smokey cafes or noisy clubs doesn’t send me flying out the door. A bookstore will, but that’s beside the point. It’s a completely different story when I’m in Vienna, Austria, but alas, my yearly four to six weeks there in the summer has been shelved as of late March, and our two to three weeks there in the winter are more than likely out the window, too.
My two roommates happen to be my mother and grandmother. All three of us are very protective of our own spaces, and respectful of each others privacy, but we also enjoy spending a good portion of our free time together, especially these days.
My days are usually busy with classes or working on assignments. My grandma works on her paintings and during breaks checks in with my aunt, her first-born daughter, or her younger sister. Meanwhile, my mom runs all errands outside of the house every two and a half to three weeks (whenever it’s absolutely necessary), as she’s chosen to spare us the agony of donning protective gear, disinfecting everything and everyone who comes close, and coming off as a paranoid clean freak, which I suspect she’s secretly enjoying.
By late afternoon, we all come out of our separate corners, with at least two electronic devices in hand for each of us, and hang out in our family room or at the kitchen counter if a meal is being prepared. After a quick exchange of news, Nana and I get into a game of chess (well, she does anyway … I haven’t worked out how to beat her yet, but I will one day), encourage each other to get up and do a 20-minute in-place walking workout, or grab the opportunity to finally get out of our pajamas and into our sweats, and go down to the walking track around the pool for an hour or so.
For The Caravan‘s previous diary entries in Arabic and English go to our COVID-19 Special Coverage page.
Our time spent together, such as during meals and when we’re not watching films, is accompanied by a lot of good-natured banter. We consciously avoid any mention of COVID-19 as much as possible and try to keep conversations lighthearted and fun.
In the early evening, Mom and I clear up and wait for all the COVID-19 updates and numbers to come in, and a mad exchange of news between us and with friends here in Egypt and stateside ensues for about an hour, following which bits and pieces continue to trickle in over the course of the evening.
Nana and Mom then settle down in front of the TV, while I return to my kitchen counter at the other end of the room and look for something that’s not a Ramadan TV series to watch, or talk to close friends from high school in the US and Europe.
I’m always the last to return to my room at around 2am I don’t necessarily go to sleep then, unless I have an early class the following day. I’m a night owl. I especially love the night in Cairo, when everything is quiet and peaceful and really enjoy looking out of my window at a surprisingly clear sky, before I roll the shutters down, grab a book or my writing notebook/journal, and tuck myself in for the night.
As mentioned earlier, I am at peace with this “new normal”. The uncertainty is still hard to deal with, but I must confess that the fear, boredom, and edging towards the brink of insanity I often hear about from friends and relatives have not been an issue for me.
This isn’t a huge departure from my normal routine. Admittedly, online instruction didn’t sit well with me at first, as it reaffirmed that human interaction is very motivating for me. As such, the transition to Zoom sessions was quite an adjustment. Then again, I must admit that attending class in my pajamas is definitely a perk!
