Where have the Cairo Crowds Gone? Day 5 Special

Day Five – March 31, 2020
Global cases: 858,355; Deaths: 42,309
Egypt cases: 710; Deaths: 46

Where have the Cairo Crowds Gone?
Sarah Thomas
Presidential Associate
Office of Strategy Management & Institutional Effectiveness

As someone who relishes in the secrets and unknowns that each day brings, the routine and home-bound lifestyle that goes along with social distancing has been a hard pill to swallow. It has left me with several questions that, after confirming with several friends today (via Zoom of course), are quite common in the times of COVID-19:

Why is time simultaneously moving incredibly fast and painstakingly slow? Is it normal to feel at peace one moment and then feel inordinate amounts of stress the next? How many times is too many times to Google “things to do in quarantine” ?

So if you’re experiencing any or all of the above as April is about to begin, you’re not alone.

Above all else, these emotional ups and downs have characterized my socially distanced mode of being. One second I’m relishing in the solace of my home and the next I’m maddened by it. What is even more crazy than my erratic emotional state, is the fact that if someone told me several weeks ago that I would no longer have to commute or deal with Cairo traffic, I most certainly would welcome the possibility. However, reality has settled in, and today I am longing for the noise and crowds on Cairo’s streets.

But for those of us who do not thrive in the routine, quiet, and solitary, there is still hope — or at least that’s what I am choosing to tell myself.

Today, my morning walk and experimental cooking helped me create spontaneity. Wandering my neighborhood’s streets and seeing fellow humans, while maintaining a socially acceptable distance, restored a sense of normalcy. I also helped plan our weekly apartment dinner; this week’s challenge is dumplings. Trying new foods passes the time and connects me with my flatmates.

As we likely enter another long month of social distancing, I am realizing that I can look at this time as an opportunity to sit, reflect, or do more inconsequential things like watch Tiger King on Netflix or try TikTok’s whipped coffee trend. Although small, these activities will help me maintain sanity and at times even enjoy my socially distanced solitude.

While there are sure to be ups and downs in the months ahead, I hope you find your solitude as well.

Shoelaces and Silver Linings: A Day Four Special
Day Four: This Quarantine Needs to End
مذكرات العزل: اليوم الثالث علينا ان ننتصر
Day Two: Of Loneliness and Silent Prayers
Day One: Documenting AUC Life Under Confinement