Get to know our community through interviews with students, parents, siblings, and faculty members about their experience with the shelter-in-place and things they are looking forward to.

IN TODAY’S POST:
Mirielle W. ’21 | Sarina F.-G., Grade 7 | Cari Lee, Parent

Check back daily for more interviews!

 

MIRIELLE W. ’21

What is one thing that you’ve learned about yourself during quarantine?

Well, I’ve learned that my backpack keeps me much more organized than I thought it did. Because without my backpack, all the folders just notebooks just stack on top of each other in the order of the classes that I most recently had. They sit on my desk, and one of my goals when we started quarantine, or a few weeks in, was to actually remember to close every notebook after I finished it. Which has gone…well, it hasn’t always happened.

So given that you’ve learned stuff about yourself in quarantine, have you learned about other people?

I learned things about other people, but I feel like not necessarily people I’m quarantined with. Just talking to [my friends] pretty much only digitally is a different experience.
Oh, well, I’ve learned that my family has gotten much more into cooking than they ever have before. Not that that’s a huge feat. And oh, I’ve also learned that I can’t cook to save my life. The new phrase around here is whenever something’s easy to cook it’s so easy that Mirielle could do it.

What is the favorite thing you’ve eaten during quarantine?

Something from my mom’s birthday a few days ago. My sister and my mom made a peach frangipane tart, which is a tart shell with cake inside and slices of peach inside the cake. Also blueberries. It was really good. Apparently one of the more time intensive things that you can bake, which Margeaux did not realize when she picked the recipe but that’s okay. It was pretty good, but I didn’t get to eat that much of it because, well, the Baker’s got their lot.

What’s the most complex thing you’ve tried to make?

I can bake. Not that I have [much] but I was able to make successful cornbread from baking mix and it did not blow up on me. I mean, it was good given that the previous day I was told to put salt in a pot and I failed because I didn’t realize there was a cap on the salt shaker. It was like a soup or something. I was supposed to just put in salt because whoever was cooking it, I think it was my mom, had to do something else for a second. And I thought I did it and it wasn’t til several days later that I learned that I hadn’t when someone opened the salt shaker and discovered there was a lot of salt left in there. Yeah, the salt was an interesting mistake.

Once the shelter in place is lifted, what do you want to do?

I want to get take-out. Oh, 葱油饼 [scallion pancakes]. I think my grandmother sent her recipe for that to my younger sister, Margeaux. But I mean, you also need the ingredients, which seems kind of hard.
I’d actually like to go back to school.
I want to watch live sports. I want them to exist again and not be suspended. And I would love to go see some [in person] but that’s kind of an ongoing issue. So I watch football, basketball, baseball. NASCAR technically started today but I did not watch it. Maybe I should. Honestly at this point, I would go for anything.

 

SARINA F.-G., GRADE 7

What is one thing you have learned about yourself during quarantine?

Although I have not necessarily learned anything new, I guess the quarantine has deepened my love and appreciation of books. I have been reading The Hobbit, and it is a great way to pass what feels like an endless amount of time.

What is one thing you have learned about someone you are quarantining with?

I have learned a lot more about what shows people in my household like. My dad enjoys sci-fi shows, my sister loves investigative documentaries, and my mom watches rom-coms.

What is one thing you want to do as soon as the shelter-in-place is lifted?

I want to visit my family in New York. So far, I have been talking to my grandparents on the phone, but I would love to visit them in person. We normally visit them every summer, so I am hoping that it actually plays out. 

What do you miss most about attending/teaching classes on campus?

I miss being able to have group partners and asking teachers questions without the hassle. I hate having to go in and out of breakout rooms for simple tasks. 

What’s one new habit or activity you have picked up during quarantine?

I learned morse code by looking at the alphabet online. I was bored, and I thought it could potentially be a very handy—or very useless—skill.

What was one mistake you made during quarantine?

I forget to go outside until late in the afternoon, and it definitely affects my mental and physical health. I am trying to get in the habit of waking up earlier so that I can take a morning walk. 

Favorite thing you ate during quarantine?

My sister made some bomb fried rice for dinner. It had a perfect balance of veggies, soy sauce, and egg. 

Favorite place to be during quarantine?

I love to go outside in the garden at night when I can see the stars. 

Who do you talk to most during quarantine? 

I probably talk to my close friends the most, even more than my family. We are constantly FaceTiming each other.

 

CARI LEE, PARENT

What is one thing you have learned about yourself during quarantine?

I miss having the freedom to go out. I have learned that I really love my outdoor freedom and I miss it.

What is one thing you want to do as soon as the shelter-in-place is lifted?

If the mall is open, I want to get Wetzel’s Pretzels. I miss my random stops to Hillsdale Shopping Center, just walking around with a bag of Wetzel’s bits in one hand and a frozen lemonade in the other hand. Those were the good days.

How do you think your life will change compared to pre-quarantine?

Just being more careful. I would assume I will continue to be cautious and practice social distancing just because the threat is not over. We really can’t let our guard down until vaccines are available.

What’s one new habit or activity you have picked up during quarantine?

Exercising more regularly. I try to walk three miles on the local trail every day. I try to walk as much as I can.

Did you try anything new during quarantine?

I have been trying to reproduce the restaurant dishes that we miss dearly. For example, we missed eating Korean tofu from restaurants so I tried to reproduce the dish at home. I’ve made it three or four times and it gets better every time.

Favorite place to be during quarantine?

The rocking chair right next to the backyard. It has a nice view, and I enjoy watching the plants grow. I notice how the flowers change every day.