Making Pizza - Neya Patel

在新冠肺炎疫情期间重新和失去联络的朋友联络

新的疫情生活比想象中的还有趣
United Kingdom, Northern Europe

Story by Neya Patel. Translated by 柯亭伃
Published on November 1, 2020.

This story is also available in GB it kr tw



英国已经在疫情的笼罩下六个月了,但是我还是对这个一直不停变化的事就感到很惊奇。我回忆起之前在二月的一个下午,我去朋友家吃晚餐,和朋友们讨论著我们即将出发的旅行:伊比萨岛、开曼群岛,还有加拿大。我其中一个朋友刚从中国回来,他告诉了我们关于武汉的病毒,我当时对武汉的死亡人数感到很惊讶,我从来都没想过疫情会蔓延至英国,我也无法想像我不能给我家人和朋友拥抱。

一个月后,这成为了残酷的事实。鲍里斯强森[1]下达了英国的封城令,人们被要求待家中以及遵守社交距离规则。「我曾经的正常生活变成了奇怪的未知。」我对此感到讶异。在封城的一开始,我就像很多人一样,感到压力很大,加上我担心我的家人和朋友们。在疫情还未来到英国之前,我的生活总是非常忙绿,总是被无限量的工作和社交资讯轰炸。

这病毒改观了我的观点,且重新定义了那些我认为的「必要」。新的政府政策禁止我们和朋友和亲戚见面,所以我找到了一个新的沟通方式: 每周Zoom通话!因此,我和在世界各国、失去联络的朋友重新有了联络,在每周Zoom通话中包含了问答比赛、生日庆祝,还有卡拉ok晚会(尽管我唱歌很难听),还有一次下午,我们办了以海滩为主题的Zoom派对,我吃著烤肉和朋友线上聊天。这样新的疫情生活比想像中的还有趣,Zoom一开始是用来开会议的,现在生出了新的日常。

六月开始,六人以下、保持两公尺安全距离可以聚会[2],受《Come Dine with Me》的启发[3],我的Zoom朋友圈接受了挑战,举办了聚会活动。每个朋友每个星期在他们的花园,举办以不同国家的菜肴为主题的晚宴,我举办了以地中海为主题的晚宴,从塔帕斯到果仁蜜饼一系列的菜肴,我们发挥创意随每周的晚宴准备了娱乐项目,包括宾果和皮纳塔。一开始我对于和彭朋友们重新团聚感到担心不安,因为可以见到他们而感到兴奋,但是我怕我会社交尴尬,还好我的朋友们也是相同的感觉,我们其实可以不用感到担心。维持安全距离没有想像中的难,我坐离大家两公尺,而且我可能用太多干洗手!

疫情让我保持、增长,和建立友谊,也扩展了我的味蕾,我走出了舒适圈,适应了这种新颖的生活方式。多年之后,我会回忆起这非凡的2020年,我不只会记得疫情的重创,但我也会记得疫情如何使我和失去联络的朋友重新联络,我虽然不能拥抱我的家人和朋友,但我没有失去希望,我祈祷这团结的友谊会继续茁壮,远于这史无前例力艰苦的日子。


注脚

[1] 鲍里斯・强森是英国的首相,2020年三月23日首相对新冠肺炎(COVID-19)的报告。 资料从https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-address-to-the-nation-on-coronavirus-23-march-2020

[2] 新冠肺炎:从六月1日开放六人聚会。 资料从https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-52841999/coronavirus-gatherings-of-six-people-allowed-from-1-june

[3] 《Come Dine with Me》是英国的电视节日,关于四个陌生人轮流举办晚宴给彼此,并且依据食物和整体经验给予分数。


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Neya Patel

Neya Patel

Hi! I am a 23-year-old psychology graduate from the United Kingdom. I have a strong interest in human rights and the ever-changing world we now live in. I love meeting new people, experiencing different cultures and travelling to exotic destinations around the world.

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