Greeted by a loud “meow,” I woke up today at around 8 a.m. with my cat, Daisy, standing in front of my face as she begged for breakfast. Today is April 3, but I barely noticed the date as time seems to fly fast when there’s not too much to do while stuck at home. I keep thinking of different ways to contain my boredom as COVID-19 and the quarantine drag on.
At 10 a.m., the editors and artists of our journalism team met over Zoom, a video communication app, to discuss plans for future projects on Bearing News. We got to show our pets and talk to one another, which was great for me as I hadn’t really video chatted with anyone recently. I got to show my classmates and friends Daisy, whom they all seemed to love. Toward the end of the call, my mom had to take an online test for her medical program, so I had to mute myself. Though I found it challenging to type and still keep up with the conversation, it dawned on me that the advances in technology have allowed me to simultaneously be quiet but speak my thoughts nonetheless.
After the call ended, I cooked a hearty breakfast of sautéed carrots and cauliflower for brunch, adding some turmeric and soy sauce to give the dish color and flavor. I combined this with sour cream on toasted brioche bread, yesterday’s dinner leftovers (粉蒸肉) and a hard boiled egg. When I chopped the egg in half, Daisy came by and loudly yelled at me. She absolutely loves egg yolk, a special treat for her, so I fed her a little bit of mine. We thoroughly cooked the egg in hot water without seasonings or oil, so it’s safe for her to eat.
When I finished the meal, I went to work on my art piece for a study on hair that I hope to post on my Instagram art account soon (@smallcheese_). I had been working on a different drawing for a few days but found it extraordinarily ugly because the proportions were awfully done, so I started on another sketch last night. This new one is based off of a picture of a pretty girl with buns in her colorful hair. I originally chose this specific photo because I have no idea how to draw hair with my current style, which is on the spectrum of semi-realism. The wispy strands that I typically sketch are much more simple, almost cartoonish; I wanted to update this to make my drawings more comprehensive and not just a messy blend of styles.
I boosted up my computer at around 2 p.m. to play “Slime Rancher” (a game Monomi Park and Skybound Entertainment developed) today. It is extremely relaxing; I bought “Slime Rancher” two days ago, when it was on sale. In the game, I am a character named Beatrix LeBeau, someone who had set out into the open slime world to build a new life. There are plenty of little secrets here and there that make this game all the more intriguing, including a love interest back home on Earth and evil tar slimes that threaten to destroy the world. I was so wholly engrossed in “Slime Rancher” that I didn’t even know it had started pouring outside until my mom told me.
It’s been incredibly weird just having free time these past few days when I feel like I should be at school, hard at work as Advanced Placement exams loom ahead. Tomorrow might take more effort, however, as I have deadlines for my classes on Sunday and other days of next week. For now, though, playing “Slime Rancher” and sketching have been nice to help take my mind off of COVID-19, upcoming due dates and other stressful events.
How have you spent your days in quarantine? Let us know in the comments below.
