Day 21: Cairo Corona 2020

Day 21: April 16, 2020
Global cases: 2,181,334; Deaths: 145,571
Egypt cases: 2,673; Deaths: 196

Jillian Campana
Professor
Director of the Theatre program

I am the kind of person who thrives with a routine. Even on a weekend or when I’m on holiday a schedule grounds me, guides me. I used to wish I could be more relaxed and just go with the flow, but after fighting this for a long time I gave into my predilection for order. So, when this hit us a month ago I quickly recognized that I needed to adopt a different schedule in order to stay healthy physically, mentally and emotionally.

My daughter and I found an old whiteboard and dragged it into the living area. We wrote out a new schedule titled “Cairo Corona 2020” and we try to follow it but also give ourselves freedom to deviate from it. Perhaps just having the schedule outlined in writing makes me feel better.

For now, she has school to help orient her, but as a graduating high school senior her classes and secondary education end on April 30 – we’re both a bit nervous about that. Classes can be challenging but they are an anchor, something to do each day and that is really good. I remind myself of this when I feel overwhelmed. I’m trying to be grateful that I am busy right now.

I usually wake up around 4am, then force myself back to sleep until 6. At 6, I get out of the house – go for a run, or walk, or bike ride for an hour or so. Then I’m back for coffee and breakfast and answering emails.

Around 9am, I start the hard work: planning classes, teaching, attending meetings or working on one of my creative or research projects. I do a little home work-out around 11:30 followed by lunch then it’s back to work for a few more hours.

I worked in Sweden for a long time and came to love the concept of fika: a short, but real, break from work accompanied by a coffee and a sweet. So right around 3pm we say, “Ska vi fika?” (should we have a break with coffee?) and the answer is always, “YES!” We sit on our tiny balcony and stare out at the sky, which for the first time in my life does not have white steaks across it.

At about 3:30pm, I work again until about 6 pm, usually checking in with students and answering more emails or zooming again with colleagues to problem solve or make plans. Then before curfew we try to get out another short walk – we’ve found a route that is empty and allows us to avoid people. In the evenings after supper, I check in with family and friends all over the world.

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

I’m originally from California and my mother still lives there but everyone else is scattered: Bangladesh, Beirut, South Carolina, Hong Kong, Dubai. Checking in with loved ones is helping both my daughter and I feel connected.

In the evenings I’m trying to learn a bit of guitar and I’m writing and experimenting with stuff in the kitchen. And of course I watch too much on Netflix. I’m a total sucker for Indian movies, having worked training actors in Bollywood for four years. My recent favorites are: Queen, Daughters of Destiny and any masala flick with Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan or Kareena Kapoor.

Lest I sound like I have it all together here is my daily inner dialogue, a real battle to stick to my friend called routine in the face of uncertainty:

JILLIAN: Birds. Light. Time to get up! Just do it. You’ll be fine.

QUANRANTINE JILLIAN: Go away. Let me sleep. I’ll wake up next year.

JILLIAN: Get up. Get dressed. Make coffee. Open the bars on the windows, let the light in.

QUARANTINE JILLIAN: It’s been a month … this week, it has been a month. This is going to go on and on and-

JILLIAN: Come on, you’ve been through worse. Get a grip. This will pass. All will be okay. Humankind will learn from this and emerge stronger.

QUARANTINE JILLIAN: When!?! I need out now. I need space and air and travel. I want to see my mother in the US, get my daughter to college.

JILLIAN: Be patient. You can’t control anything that happens. Wait and see and make choices based on facts. It may take a while, settle in. Try to enjoy these moments.

QUARANTINE JILLIAN: (begrudgingly getting up) I think you might be insane.

JILLIAN: You’ll be okay. Yalla!