Teri
Covid-History Item Type Metadata
Age
65
Date
03/12/2021
Location
Auburn
When did the impact of COVID-19 first occur to you? How did your reaction to COVID-19 change between then and the first case in your town?
I was living and working in South Korea until August of 2020. Korea first became concerned about Covid at the beginning of February and by mid-February, the start of the spring semester (school semesters start in March and September) was in doubt. By the end of February, business had limited opening hours and people were advised to stay home and isolate as much as possible. I also had a teacher-friend working in Wuhan at the time. Wuhan went into lock-down on January 23, 2020. He and his wife were required to stay in their apartment at all times. Food and "care packages" were delivered by the Chinese government to their apartment on a weekly basis by workers dressed in full gear. They had the opportunity to leave in March but because they are citizens of different countries (Ireland and South Africa), they decided to stay put. I have to say that I felt fortunate living in South Korea at the time. The country did NOT lock down or close businesses, but the government took immediate (and transparent) steps to stop the spread. Covid testing was done early and often. Contact tracing was done with everyone who tested positive and people were notified and required (but not forced) to quarantine or isolate if they had been exposed. Schools closed and went to remote learning as early as the beginning of March. Entering a public building, everyone was required to have their temperature taken, and names and phone numbers provided. Of course masks were mandatory everywhere and were worn without complaint.
How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?
I moved from South Korea to the US because I had reached Korean retirement age (65) and was unable to continue working in Korea.
How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?
I'm good except that I miss teaching and my friends in Korea. I'm the kind of person who is rarely bored. I read, listen to audio books, crochet and play computer games. I also keep up with friends through FaceBook, WhatsApp and a Korean social media app called Kakao Talk. Honestly, I really haven't felt very stressed at all. I've actually been able to do all of the things I love without feeling guilty! :)
What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?
This is really hard to answer since I only visited the US for 2 weeks every summer and have spent the past 20 year living abroad.
Are you a business owner who has had to close? If you are still open, how have you had to adjust how your business operates?
NA
Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?
NA
Are you an employee who has been laid off or furloughed? Were you able to get unemployment? Were you able to retain your health insurance?
Getting Medicare was a huge nightmare!!! I went for 3 months with no health insurance at all.
Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?
No, because I found I ABSOLUTELY HATED online teaching. I've just had my 2nd covid vaccine and plan to apply for part-time work at some after-school programs in 2 weeks.
Do you have children at home? How’s it going?
NA
If you’re a student, was school canceled? Were you able to complete your studies online? Do you think you’ll be back on campus in the fall?
NA
Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?
Yes. My Mom passed away (not from Covid...she was 95) at the end of May and I was unable to come to her service. My brother is the only one still living in Auburn so he and his family were the only people at the service, but my nephew shared it with the rest of the family through zoom. We haven't yet had any type of memorial for her, but it actually was exactly the way she wanted it. She gave us a letter years ago saying that she didn't want a service, no calling hours, just a short ceremony with close family.
Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?
NA
What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?
NA
Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?
NA
If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?
See #19
What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?
Please forgive me for being rude, but I didn't realize how lacking many Americans were in their knowledge of science and logical thinking.
What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?
You CAN breathe if you wear a mask.
How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?
Right now, just reading that two people stood "3 feet apart" makes me want to yell "6 feet!!!". I'm not sure if/when that will change.
Is there anything else you would like to add that hasn't already been asked above?
I'd be glad to talk more to someone about my very different "Covid Experience". My email address is koreateacher96@yahoo.com
Dublin Core
Title
Teri
Subject
COVID-19 (Disease)
Publisher
Southern Adirondack Library System
Date
03/12/2021
Contributor
Southern Adirondack Library System
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Language
English
Type
Covid History
Identifier
12487209046
Coverage
Coronavirus Pandemic
Collection
Citation
“Teri,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed April 16, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/350.