--> First and foremost I just wanted to express that I know there are those in worse conditions, environments, or situations and may not have access to the healthcare or preventative supplies that they need. I also know that there are people and families facing financial, emotional, and physical hardships, mourning the loss of loved ones, trying to support those infected, and that this is overall very scary and unfamiliar times. This post is in no way comparing my situation to others, this is just me freely expressing my story with COVID-19 and how it affected my life, as it has with everyone else. I also have a collaborative project initiative I will introduce in PART 2, for all of us to pitch in and help those in need during these challenging times. <--
Yes, I know, we all know, by this time if you are in the United States (and in other major parts of the world) we have all been strongly advised to imprison ourselves in the comforts of our home. Well, let's take it back a few months to my comforts of winter break in Shanghai.
So, it's the middle of January and I'm traveling to different provinces within China--朱家角镇 Zhujiajiao the beautiful water city, 杭州 Hangzhou, the birthplace of Alibaba, 苏州 Suzhou, such a beautiful and little city known for being the "Venice of China", to 南京 Nanjing, the epicenter of tremendous loss, bravery, and peace. I applied and got accepted to an all expense-paid week-long China Study Tour, by the Committee of 100 Scholars Program that was promoted through NYUSH. I learned a TREMENDOUS amount traveling all over China, attending lunch panels, workshops, conferences, museums, different colleges, workplaces, etc. Also including (seriously the best) breakfast lunch and dinners 🤩 Me being the Tenielle that I am networked and made connections with people all around me--graduate students, undergrad students like me, CEOs of healthcare insurances, entrepreneurs, innovators, etc. I definitely took advantage of this opportunity to expand my knowledge and perspective trying to learn new things totally outside my field (engineering, for example 😅). Altogether, these experiences made my break so productive, and fun! Very grateful to have opportunities like these 💗
Okay nowww here comes the part that I don't like 😣 我跟别人说这些时间的话，我心总是坏了 (whenever I tell people about these times, my heart always breaks 💔)
So, it's nearing the end of January and I'm back in Shanghai on such a high...just came back from traveling, i'm spending time with loved ones and friends, getting read for the next semester. And boom it literally hit me in just a few days that a deadly virus -- what we all know already -- COVID-19 was roaming every crevice of China, almost every province and city untouched. This virus doesn't discriminate either--young, old, Chinese, 外国人 (foreigner). See, I knew that this whole virus thing was going around but I never expected it to uproot my life and drastically change my lifestyle.
I knew sh&! was real when my university emailed us delaying school for a week. Dang, they don't do nothing like that I was thinking, cause seriously if anything NYUSH is very punctual and they do not play about missing school. I'm chillin for a while, anytime I had to head out I would wear two masks, making sure not to take public transportation (as this was a very easy way to transmit the virus), not be so close to people, sanitizing my hands everywhere I go. Remember now, that this is the ending of January (January 20-ish), wayyy before the outbreak reached the US and other parts of the world. Next few days are passing by, and I wake up to silence. Now that should really really alarm you because SHANGHAI HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 24 MILLION PEOPLE AND ITS CALLED THE PARIS OF THE EAST AND NEW YORK OF THE WEST and its SILENT??? Ya, exactly what was going through my mind every morning I woke up before I had to leave.
I would look out the window, and my stomach would drop because I just got such an eerie feeling like something was definitely off and not right. I saw 10 people walking back and forth on the sidewalks MAX, all wearing masks of course. Barely any cars on the road, I kept hearing the usual automatic voice of a lady they play overhead in the bus, advising people to pay attention to safety when they come on and off the bus, and the occasional backfire of the mopeds carrying 饿了吗 E-le Ma (food delivery service) drivers, but thats IT. I'm holding my laptop showing my mom over facetime the once familiar, city that now felt nothing like my Shanghai.
Now, I'm concerned about my own well-being and soooo manyyy thinggsss weree goingg throughhh my headdd. I don't even want to get into it because I seriously am an over thinker lmao. Okay, so as I was saying at this point I'm watching a whole bunch of NowThis videos on Instagram trying to get a better grasp at what exactly this virus is, common symptoms (or not SIKE), who was more prone to getting it, if there were any available vaccines, should i still be in Shanghai, and things like that.
So, my mother is freaking out in Hawaii and I wish there were like cameras capturing both of our emotions because I was very calm so hesitant to even consider leaving, and there she was a wreck, heavily trying to convincing me to hop on a plane in 5 minutes. In all seriousness, I knew I had to leave because the cases were just getting really bad and 武汉州 Wuhan province was on lockdown--meaning no one could go "in and out", in hopes of mitigating the virus. I was scared that would happen to Shanghai soon, and like everyone else, I definitely wanted to be in the comforts of my HEALTHCARE just in case anything happened to me (even though I have international healthcare, I was more comfortable with my doctors and insurance company in the US). My family and home too of course.
I am also very appreciative that NYUSH was very accommodating, helping me get a flight back home in due time. However, this is the part I mentioned in the beginning that was not fun for me ☹️. See, at this time (we're still at the ending of January, I know it seems like we've been stuck here for a bit huh) I was advised that we would be scheduled to come back to China in the middle of February, and this is not usually me, but I clung on to that hope of returning so soon...even though I also knew how realistic that would be. I'm packing my bags, rearranging my room, throwing out my 方便面 fangbianmian (literally convenient noodles) leftovers from the fridge, and my heart is just so...💔
Not only was I leaving China, my college LIFE, my lifestyle, my school, my COUNTRY...I was also leaving loved ones behind, not sure when we'll reminisce again. My heart was honestly shattered at this point, and I'm not one to foster such "gray" feelings (It's either black or white for me, this or that, no in between) but I was definitely feeling so yucky but grateful. Yucky that I'm leaving my home, yet grateful that I have the opportunity to go home. I remember that day, trying to pack up...I even had one of my good friends in the room helping me pack and she even filled me up with servings of pasta before my flight 😩❤️.
Let me tell you guys, never have I ever wanted a flight cancelled so badly...or for John Quiñones from What Would You Do? to open my cab door and let me know this was all a setup 😔
I never imagined how suddenly everything would shift in my life...
(Continue to Pt. 2 ➡️)
