Day Six: Enjoying the Solitude of Staying Home

Day Six – April 1, 2020
Global cases: 935,137; Deaths: 47,192
Egypt cases: 779; Deaths: 52

Enjoying the Solitude of Staying Home
Yasmeen El-Ghazaly
Assistant Director
Center for American Studies and Research – AUC

Day (I really lost count) of quarantine.

Well, apparently it’s Wednesday, and it might as well have been any other weekday for all I care, they are all the same….maybe Thursday is a bit different since I need to make sure I have enough groceries to last the weekend when most stores are completely closed all day.

Before I start this diary entry I need to point out that I’m a 38-year-old married woman, with two teenagers and I am a staff member at AUC, and most importantly I am an introvert and I am extremely comfortable with this quarantine.

Unlike everyone complaining and feeling traumatized and suffocated, I am enjoying the solitude of staying at home in my green gated community in New Cairo. I am appreciating the ability to work from home without rushing around trying to get my chores at home done every day since 5:30am then collapse in bed exhausted to the bone.

I like this break … it must be my age and the fact that I am an adult with several responsibilities other than dating or partying or studying; heck, I even finished my MA two years ago. Luckily I absolutely loathe any form of smoking/drinking as well as cafes, malls, shopping and restaurants.

My outings are usually either a rock or metal gig at a club (no drinking/smoking, just dancing) or a hike in Sinai – both activities happen infrequently and require a lot of planning ahead so I don’t forgo any of my duties/responsibilities first. Ok, so back to my quarantine.

8:15am: Wake the kid up for his online class.

8:25am: Shake the life out of him to keep him awake since he most definitely slept in “class” the minute he logged on.

9:00am: I stretch in bed and quietly reach out to unlock my mobile phone and check the emails I may have gotten as well as the to-do list I have for both work and home. Technology is such a bliss, even though we feel like we are on demand 24/7; still the idea of being able to access our offices virtually anytime from the comfort of our homes is priceless.

As I scroll through the emails and social media apps, my two beautiful cats start jumping on me urging me to feed them although their food plates are already half full, but they really are spoiled rotten and they are my life.

9:15am: I make myself a nice hot steamy cup of coffee as I open up my laptop to begin working on the tasks I have for the day.

11:00am: I start to think of what to cook for my family today. I make sure no ingredients are missing. Oops, I need milk and cream; OK, I decide to finish the report I am working on and walk to the supermarket instead of making a delivery for two or three items. Plus, I like walking in the green gardens around my home, I might see someone walk their dog and ask to play with it.

It’s really interesting to observe how this quarantine affects everyone. Introverts like me aren’t really upset about it, especially if walking around the neighborhood isn’t something difficult to do. Most of my colleagues aren’t upset either especially if they are married with kids, well maybe their young kids are driving them bonkers but still they are able to do their jobs remotely and take care of their homes with a lot less stress.

1:00pm: My husband and I leisurely walk to the supermarket about 5 minutes away from out apartment to buy the missing items we needed for the day. Sure enough, we play with an adorable white small fluffy griffon dog and a friendly beautiful golden retriever.

3:00pm: I decide to get up to start cooking today’s meal. We are having creamy shrimp pasta and a green salad. I put on some music and start cooking.

5:00pm: We just ate, food was really tasty. It’s nice to cook fresh food and eat immediately instead of cooking at 5:00am then reheating it after 5:00 pm.

6:00pm: I decide to go for a quick jog around the block before the curfew starts.

I reflect on why teenagers and students are most frustrated. Their lives have completely shut down. Face-to face-interactions and trying out different cafes/clubs/restaurants multiple times a week if not every day is at the center of their lives. It’s their age, I guess. They feel suffocated and caged. Older people who are usually retired are not baffled by this quarantine – their daily routine is already slow, sometimes lonely and usually very peaceful, going out is a “stress” that they don’t really ask for.

7:00pm: I make myself a nice cup of decaf coffee and reply to few more emails, jotting down my to-do list for tomorrow as I unwind on the couch.

8:00pm: My husband and I watch Homeland on Netflix, I lost track of which season this is, it’s such a wonderful series but so many events to keep up with.

10:00pm: I switch on my rock and metal play list on my phone as I clean up the kitchen and take a look at the laundry then I think of what to cook for tomorrow. I look in the freezer/fridge and I decide to make red pasta and fried chicken, no ingredients are missing so I don’t need to buy anything for tomorrow.

I miss my office incredibly, I cannot deny that. It’s easier to get things done at the office of course especially if you need to go to people in their own offices to get things done ASAP. After all, I love AUC, I’ve been there for over eight years now and I cannot imagine being anywhere else. Like everyone, I hope things return to normal soon, but unlike everyone I’m far less stressed about it.

11:00pm: Both my husband and I are in bed, he is quietly reading while I am on FB knitting a shawl I started in December and we calmly drift off to sleep.

For The Caravan’s previous diary entries in Arabic and English go to our COVID-19 Special Coverage page.