COVID-19 City Tales: Buenos Aires. “I started my new job the same day isolation took off. Two hours in and I was sent home with a feeling that everything was surrealistic and an overreaction. This idea changed over time.”
A conversation with… Victoria, 32, Architect and Urban Economist, Ramos Mejías. Self-isolated for 43 days
Firstly, can you let me know if you are self-isolated or quarantined?
We have been in quarantine since March 20th. It has been 43 days now. Isn’t the quarantine supposed to last 40 days?!
Are you spending it alone or with company?
I had just come back from living in Berlin when the quarantine began, so I came to my parents’ house momentarily. I’m spending it with my father, my mother, my younger brother, my younger sister, a cat and a dog.
How are you coping with confinement?
Confinement is not easy. It’s difficult to cope with anxiety and stay positive. It's difficult not to listen to social pressure to stay fit, learn how to cook, do yoga, meditate, boxing, learn a language, become a professional painter, and so on. It’s difficult to keep calm and treat each other well all the time. It’s hard for 5 people living together to have a good sense of humor all the time. It’s also a difficult situation in Argentina because ours it’s a developing country and has a lot of informal labor. Due to this, the quarantine has enormous impacts on our economy. Argentina already had an economic crisis before the quarantine and now it got much worse.
My advice to other people would be to do what you can without putting so much pressure on yourself. You don’t need to get out of this quarantine being a professional chef or fit as Rocky Balboa. We should all be grateful for what we have. Many people are really suffering the loss of a beloved person, or don’t have a roof or food to eat. We should try to cooperate as much as we can to make this situation better.
Describe the area where you live. Did you know your neighbours much before this happened? Has your relationship changed since this started?
I live in the city center in the limit between the commercial and residential area. A block away from my house used to be a really crowded area. Nowadays the scene is apocalyptic. The streets look like deserts and everyone is wearing masks and gloves. We are only allowed to leave our houses to buy food or medicines.
I didn’t have much relation with my neighbors before and I don’t have much now either. But every day at 9pm, as in almost every city of the world I believe, everyone goes out to their balconies or windows to clap for all the doctors and nurses doing a great job. It’s like a ritual where music is played afterward and everyone sings the Argentinian hymn and other songs such as “Resistiré” (omg, please I can’t stand it anymore!). And some weeks ago another ritual was held where everyone goes out their windows to clap for the high salaries politicians have and the ridiculous contrast with the ones doctors have. The clapping at 8pm changes daily according to what’s going on at the moment. Today’s clapping at 8pm will be to repudiate the fact that a judge gave permission to criminals and rapers to go out of prison due to the coronavirus situation.
Anyway, a kind of community has been built and we play the role of friends every day.
What was the last thing you did before isolating?
I got a job. I am still very thankful for that perfect timing. I was really lucky. I went to my new office that day. It was my strangest first day ever. I was sent home after 2 hours with a laptop and a feeling that everything was surrealistic and kind of an overreaction. This idea changed over time.
Do you miss the outdoors?
I do miss the outdoors but mostly I miss my friends. Still, I feel like we are closer now. We talk to each other almost every day and I kind of feel that this quarantine is good for me in terms of finding the time to finish my studies and work a lot. I also believe is good and bad for my anxiety at the same time. To begin with, I would love to be in Berlin enjoying the outdoors and spring. But regarding this particular point, this quarantine gave me the sense of relaxing a lot about going back to Berlin and focusing on what it needs to be done here before that can actually take place in my life. But, as I said before, coping with the anxiety of the lockdown is not easy either.
Do you agree with the way your Government has handled the crisis? What would you change?
I think the government made the right decision on time and it is reflected in the low number of infected people and deaths: today we have 4285 infected people and 214 deaths. Still, we don’t have the capacity of testing many people. It is estimated that only 10% of the actual cases are tested.
Regarding the decisions being made today by the government, I am not sure that the situation is being handled correctly. As I said before, the economic crisis is huge, as 30% of the population in Argentina is considered poor: that would be 13.000.000 people approximately.
The only purpose of the lockdown is to postpone the infections and, in the meantime, prepare the health system. Well, Argentina doesn’t have the means to build new intensive care units or buy ventilators. So, it looks like our only hope is to wait for the vaccine. I believe the economy should be reactivated somehow.
Do you think this will have positive consequences as well?
Sure, I do believe this surreal situation made all of us realize how many things shouldn’t be taken for granted: kisses, hugs, dates, sex, freedom, jobs, money, food, health, the sun, going for walks, travelling, plans. And I do think we are being brought closer and bonds will be stronger.
Also, for many lucky people who don’t have to deal with coronavirus or economic crisis directly, it will be a productive time in some sense: from spending time with their families to being able to read for pleasure, watch as many movies as they can, learn how to cook, get fit, put wardrobes in order, take courses, make yoga, etc.
Lastly, tell me something new you’ve learnt about yourself during isolation.
During isolation, I’ve learnt that you can’t plan everything, and things happen for a reason. Timing is everything and having temperance is especially important. Being able to adapt is also particularly important. Finally, isolation was an incredibly good incentive to look inside myself, of course, and deal with aspects of my personality that should be reconsidered. I am happily working on that (and I also cry a lot, cause’ that’s how I am☺).
