(published on Newsworthy 2021)
In the wake of COVID-19, changes in my community can be subtle, they can be huge.
The past year saw a lot of firsts for me. I knew Australian society was not accustomed to mask-wearing. I remember when I wore one to school in Year 10, many people stared at me as if I had a lethal disease, when in fact I had just caught a flu virus and did not want to spread the germs. This was 2015, when I first arrived in Sydney from Hong Kong.
Fast forward to March 2020: I am masked again, walking home from the train station when two teenage boys shout "you have coronavirus!". Even as the pandemic was declared, masks were not a common sight in Sydney. Getting yelled at on the street by strangers, this was a first for me.
Then came the start of lockdown, which was not bad (for me). Like many people, I got into baking. I felt lucky that I lived with my grandparents and brother, that, along with video calling my friends occasionally, was enough social interaction for me.
The idea of staying home all day even sounded exciting at first. I think it was because I anticipated the "end" of it in the not too distant future. Little did I know! It dragged on, with very little change. Although social restrictions eased, most friends still hesitated in organising gatherings and many restaurants required pre-paid bookings. There was absolutely no room for spontaneity!
Hostility, isolation, disconnection.
I wish I could say the pandemic did not affect me much, but it was one of the worst years of my life. Delayed hangouts, struggles with employment; time flying by and months wasted. My year-long exchange program was cancelled. A journey I had looked forward to so much, vaporised by the virus.
I think the only positive outcome was my grades significantly improved, and ironically, I did not get sick at all (because of my mask-wearing obsession) when I would normally catch a cold twice a year.
My 2020 lesson is that things never go as planned and the key to happiness is to not expect too much. Already this year I have started an internship and reconnected with long lost friends, I even became a UNSW society executive. Life is starting to look a little easier. On that note, my intuition tells me: 2021 is going to be my year, with or without a mask.
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