Wakonté CaribbeanName: Arlene Mark
Age: 31
Sex: Female
Location: St. Andrew, Grenada
We got our first confirmed case of COVID-19 yesterday. Reality set today, Monday 23rd March, as I travelled to the capital city of St. George to sort out some documents. Utility businesses had persons lined up outside to avoid crowdedness as people hurry to pay their bills. Few passersby adorned with masks and gloves walked the street like it was the norm. Some bus conductors wore the same outfit. The city seemed quiet but the scenery was looking a bit out-of-place.
Presently, I feel out-of-place. My training in Fashion Design had been cut short by the call for Social Distancing which begun last Monday. I had hoped that by the end of my training, things will fall into place for my next step but now realizing that I need to change my plans around. I am a little bit bored, to be honest. Last week I found a little joy in various recipes for corn tortillas.. but anyway…
Online presence. I see the need now. Here in Grenada, many are resorting to the internet to connect with others in new or unexplored ways. Lack of church attendance has Pastors showing up on social media like never before. Teachers are figuring out how to navigate lessons to students and find a dilemma in the fact that some homes are not tech-savvy or well experienced in navigating the worldwide web. But I believe we’ll get through this. Our history has seen us going through many hard times. We are resilient. We will learn and grow.
Personally, I am taking a long hard look at myself. I believe this a time for me to realize what is truly important and where my priorities lie. Will I continue my training or move to another field? I am not sure. But one thing I am learning is that the uncertainty of the future should not lure me away from the beauty of the present. I have more time to spend with family than I’ve had for the past few months and that’s a blessing.
Please share your #QuarantinedCaribbean stories with us. Have you lost your job? Are you now doing your job in different ways? Has it changed your social dynamics? How? Have you spent more time with family? How do you feel about all of this? Do you plan on gardening more after this? Are you playing more board games?
Email your stories to chadia@wakonte.com or via WhatsApp at +13472921603
Wakonté Caribbean
Chadia Mathurin
