Right. And the best thing is they would tell us to get under our desks like that would make a difference in a tornado. Right,


Good. The roof of the schools called But I'm under this desk.


So I'll be okay. I'll


All


be just fine. Oh


That's crazy


man.


I mean but what else is there to do honestly? You know?


I mean, I guess in fairness, like what else could we have done? Like that's, it's something right. At least at least they tried.


it is funny if you think about it like wait a minute this 20 opening up this whole school but I'm cool under this desk. Good stuff. I'm


This desk, it's lighter than I am, but it will protect


good. Oh yeah it's crazy thanks. We're


So,


part of Canada's deliver


uh Lawrence, so both


Lawrence.


my parents were students at the University of Kansas, so it was about half an hour of Kansas city. So that, that part of Kansas isn't what everybody else pictures, you know, just flat farmlands and everything. But you go outside of that immediate area and it's exactly what you think of. Um, just nothing but like going west there towards Colorado. It's just well that nothing farmland. Uh, I didn't see that part of the state too much thankfully. But you know, Lawrence is like, it's like any other college town, right? Um, not as much like not as much like Rutgers, Newark, but maybe Rutgers, new Brunswick or

Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Okay. Mhm, wow, cool. Mhm.


Guys,


Rutgers scattered like just the college town. Um, so it wasn't it wasn't that bad. There wasn't much to do though. Um You know I did was play basketball all day long and then uh I love basketball man and then I stopped growing and that


it's


was it for my basketball career. Oh. Uh


I would like


it was


giving


it's like


you some of my height bro, I was 64 from now. I'm 64 I wasn't integrated basketball. I would love to have donated some of my height that other people would have gotten a


If I met


better


you


job


30 years ago


out


I met


of the


truck,


30 years ago we could we could have traded.


got to hook you right on up. So uh


That's


right on up and all I get out of being told most is the ability to see how many things I can knock my head up against during the course


No.


of the right now. That about it, that's the bottom


that's


mark.


funny.


There's car door tomorrow might be the cabinet, It's fun, keeps you on your toes. Mhm.


you gotta stay off your toes. You got


There


to stay low.


is almost gonna put me on my back. Yes.


That's funny.


About the fact it's terrible.


Yeah. So what else is going on? Sad


Ah boy, No, I'm pretty big football friend, even though it's hard to be nowadays, but we,


You're


we,


not a Jets fan, are you?


it wouldn't matter right now, but now I'm a


huh.


giant but it well,


Hey


let me


they


see.


want


We got no, we got our first nine loss, we didn't win that


good


game. Riverboat,


good play.


Ron gave us that game. Hey, let's go.


Good point.


What are you going to go ahead and go straight to them? I'm like, people go for to go for two because you're not gonna get it, we'll get a win or a non loss.


Not


We'll be the non


much.


hearts today.


Okay. That's a good way to put it. That's


That's


hilarious


when we're in love


here.


check with his work. So y'all todd didn't know we didn't try either. So you want, oh, we didn't move. Mhm


That's funny.


Because because because dave Danny dimes was trying to give it to you all. Mm I


Well


was telling my buddy, I'm like, he's gonna find a way and like, I'm like, what you have to do appreciate is how creative the interception was. It took him a while and getting out of his system. You had to like the level of of where he went to do that. You know


he


I mean


had


it wasn't


to do a lot of, a lot of


it


homework,


was a


of


joke,


film study to get


that right.


wasn't it wasn't a dime store interception, you know it was all in the quarter, end zone, druggie street and everything was spectacular. It's still an interception.


He, he read the defense and threw


Hey


it in just the right


dad,


place.


this is the only place he could catch you any card. It was really facing catching, he caught it. Good job there Danny. But we got off the schneid but yeah yeah. Mhm


but listen, at least you've had a couple of super bowls in your lifetime, you know, you watch them. Yeah.


I did.


All right. Like I was a chief's fan and you know, people that don't know me, they're like without the background, but I told you being from Kansas, um, like, oh bandwagon fan over here, like no, you don't understand like I suffered through


All


my whole


suffering


lifetime.


friend bro, you get it correct? I'm long, hopefully I'm not a bang rak. Mhm Uh huh.


I mean, I want some garbage garbage


Wait


use for years under marty schottenheimer like they scroll like three points and be high five and for a game like you kick a field goal. Yes, Yes, we're going the right way.


we're not getting cut out this game.


Yeah, exactly. Oh, I celebrated that a lot. Um So but yeah, I mean the Giants will turn it around and you know, I don't root against Giants or Jets like I want both teams to do well, you know, unless they're playing my team, but like you don't want to see anybody like downtrodden


You know,


and just


you know you know


no.


it's difficult to hear just how down some dude like I mean I would probably be too but I'm more of a fan and a fanatic so I don't go overboard. It bothers me. But my day would have been one if I would have been the type of person overreacting stuff like that. I'd be all right anyway because by now I'd be nothing to. It gives me a little bit of time to get used to it so I'd still be okay. Mhm.


Yeah. Uh


Um.


But yeah, I mean I love football though, I just love watching, although yesterday, I don't know if you're watching yesterday afternoon, but the second set of games, the four o'clock games, they were both hard to watch. I mean,


Of,


well the Jet was the Jets dolphins, right? And it was over before it started. Uh And the pack and the books like that got out of control pretty early too. I don't know what happened. Aaron Rodgers.


I don't know either because it was hilarious because like oh he's about to be the M. V. P. We might move your head in the stands, the rust and then he goes out here and I'm like you know obviously I've seen the games he played in before that but you know what I mean? I'm like, this is the dude you were talking about because he must have thought it was like 13 people on his team because he kept throwing it to the buccaneers. So I


That


guess


one


two


pick


of


six


them must


was


have had all, He must have just looked at the number and then look at the jersey color over. Well that's no, that's number 35 but he's, he has a buccaneer uniform or oh,


Oh.


I was going into the number. That's my bad. Yeah,


my God.


I was just throwing the numbers. I wasn't paying attention to uniform colors. I thought


I mean


that was something doing


and


he could have been


come


thrown to


back.


a spot. Yeah it was pretty bad


It


and I


got out of hand


didn't


real fast.


yeah. Yeah. Um I didn't want to want to last night's game either The Niners and the Rams but


I didn't watch it too much. Um, I'm like, I need, I need my rest. So I'm not going to be stated that cool thing for you today. You got a monday night on pretty much in the middle of the afternoon today,


Yeah I think it's


expect


at five o'clock.


both of five o'clock. Yeah. That's crazy.


Yeah. Yeah we get wrapped up early and get ready to watch that game so


That's cool.


we'll see. But yeah my home has been having kind of a tough season two you know he definitely hasn't been looking like himself the last couple of years but hopefully you can start turning that around. I mean it's not easy like if teams are just they're gearing up to stop you


All right. Pretty


it's


much


not going


pretty


to be


much, you know. Yeah, pretty much for the fallen tents and purposes, as with any other um, you know, champion from the previous season. They're going to get every team's best game. Yeah.


that's just the way it is. You got


Every


to get ready


every


for


team


it.


is going to give them the best game that they got on them and then in them for that season and then, you know, everybody, you know that a little bit of variants can make a big difference in the outcome of the games. But um, he's awesome. So I don't see him being in any right for too long because he's just,


well he's got, he's


excuse


got the


me.


right attitude to, he's got


He's an


great


incredible,


attitude.


it's awesome.


Yeah, yeah, yeah, so


It's


we'll see how


what


that


you


can


Chiefs


you go.


fans deserve that for that long suffering


Thanks


from


buddy. I appreciate that.


Lupron. You deserve the patty Mahomes.


Thanks man.


I mean it's about tom you guys deserve that patty moons


Yeah, yeah, it hasn't won. And the Royals one, I don't know if you're in a base blown up, but the Royals won


and


in


everything


bro. Uh


so that, that was a good feeling, but yeah, so


like my


it


Yankees


worked.


got out of here unfortunately.


Yeah, I'm a Yankees, I'm a Yankees fan to the I man, I need a couple hours to tell you about all my issues with, they've done Oh shit,


Yeah. The devil's never got started to share in the next. Yeah. You


uh and yeah, I'm a lifelong,


don't even talk about the next. Yeah. Mhm.


yeah, I'm going to expand to, there was the Kansas city Kings were in Kansas city when I was really young and then they moved out of there, they went to Seattle. Um so I moved to New Jersey and became a knicks man. So I've been struggling with that ever since. Two uh Charles


about the pickle.


smith Charles smith get rejected like five times underneath the basket. Oh God I'm sorry to bring these things up. Oh man. Right.


those were the days. Yeah.


wow we made we did 25


minutes ready to,


again. Dammit Charles smith, you million 16 bro. What are you going? Yeah


it's 6 10 playing like 5 10. Uh Uh huh. Uh Yeah


Step we one of those situations where it can only get better. It's not too many basements below the basement. All


Right. Right. Yeah hopefully that's it that's it hopefully


I hope you guys don't create a sub basement. That's too much what


yeah yeah but Todd it was great talking with you my man. Um


it was awesome talking to you buddy.


Yeah stay safe and be good. All right


You didn't say bro.


all right take it easy man.


Take it easy bro.


Okay. Yeah. Uh huh, mm Oh mm. Yeah, yeah, yeah mhm mhm


Hello.


Hi, how are you?


Good hurry up. Uh huh. Sorry I couldn't tell if my audio was on or not.


Oh no, it's good like. Yeah,


Yeah. So what is


I'm,


your name?


my name is stefania. What's yours?


Can


No,


you repeat that


stefania,


Catania


t fine. I'm sorry


that's okay.


I'm taylor nice to meet you.


It's right here.


Sorry, I'm trying to get my screen set up. So how are you today?


Pretty good. How about you?


I just took a little nap which is why my hair is crazy. I didn't try to but it just happened. So


I was going to take a nap right after this then. Yeah.


are you are you located in the United States?


Yeah, I am in new york, upstate new york.


So you're on the East Coast Hill? I know I try not to nap between like four and seven because then I figure I won't sleep but it just happened today.


Are you also on the East Coast?


Yes, I'm in north Carolina but I'm originally from pennsylvania so I've always been on the East Coast. So are you working, are you in school?


I'm in school, currently a sophomore in college.


Oh wow. Is your school currently in person or online?


Um so I'll be going back on campus the 27th actually because I'm a biochem major, so I have a lot of labs,


So are the other programs going back on on person on campus to or just your program?


I think like they have a choice, like you have a choice of being completely remote or like coming on campus and most like business kids are like english majors have chosen to like not come back on campus. Yeah.


obviously you're not at N. Y. U. Because they're quarantining their kids and not feeding them and stuff. I've been seeing that all over


I've


Tiktok.


heard about that. That's like ridiculous. Like even my school, they're like, it's like taking a while for them to get in like the coronavirus like test results. So like kids been stuck in their rooms for like 24 hours and like the school gave them food, but when it's like a bagel in a salad and I'm like scared to like, I'm like, I don't know if I should bring food myself, but they said don't bring any food because like I was like, this is so confusing but


so


like


did


hopefully.


you have to get tested? Like do you live around there or did you have to move back for school?


Yeah, I have to move back, go up, I go to boston college so I have to drive up to boston and then when I arrive I'm going to get a test and then have to quarantine in my room until I get my test results. Yeah.


That's interesting. So do you have to go to like the health campus or something to get the test done?


No, they like put the testing center inside of the football stadium. It's weird. But I guess that's the only place they had enough space for everyone to be like separated enough so that I have to like make a loop around and like there's like checkpoints around


I


campus


don't know, wow,


before I can finally have like access to my room which is God. But like my some of my roommates have already arrived on campus and they told me like you know it's taken a while for them to get back. But like the process to get the test was pretty simple.


Yeah. It sounds like people are getting tested really quickly. I know one of my coworkers, her son just got tested at east


It.


Carolina yesterday and he got the results today. So it seems like colleges are getting their hands on the rapid results.


Yeah we just need to like um we're supposed to have an app and stuff but the app is not working so like they just need to


no.


fix that because like this is gonna be such a stressful semester to begin with so like let's not have any issues. But yeah.


definitely. I saw that. I think it's Illinois. They're Illinois or indiana. I think it was Illinois. They have like an app where you, you have everything logged in there and you get your temperature taken like every day or every few days and then you have like on


But


your phone, if you aren't positive then your green status and you can be admitted into the bars and the different school buildings. But if you test positive


For


then it restricts


what?


you from accessing things. So it seems like they're doing a really good job.


Super


A lot of other schools


smart.


are not.


Not your company but wow,


that's a really smart system


yeah, it seems like they really have it down. So hopefully, I mean, I feel like next week or this week is kind of a late start, so hopefully boston knows what they're doing.


I'm just scared because like apparently the football team is like in session which is like they're not planning. I hope they're not playing. I'm playing football. Like I don't think anything they're going to come to play football at all. Like that's just ridiculous. So like


I'm a big penn state fan and they the big 10 closed for the year, but every other conferences planning on playing. And it's so strange because in Alabama I guess 500 kids, they've been back for a week and 500 students tested positive. So it's like they're not, they're not playing football this year,


Yeah. I sure hope not because like I won't allow it not


That's


on my campus. I can't


funny. So how many roommates do you have?


out of there's eight of us. Yeah,


God.


but it's like a sweet so it's like a sweet. So like we have like a kitchen, two bathrooms, like a living room and stuff so it's like it's pretty spacious because like I was like um I just chose randomly because I had a plan to get like a single for myself. I told my like my roommate was also like my best friend, I was like don't worry about me because if you wait for me then you'll have no one and they'll put you random. So like go with the other friend. And then because of the virus, they're like, yeah, I know we don't have space for singles. So like I was just like, okay put me randomly. But I got lucky because I know five of the girls. And then like,

Yeah. Yeah, wow. Mhm, mm hmm. Yeah, wow.


I know.


yeah, so I was like, that's such a like a good coincidence. But like, thank you.


What are the odds of that?


Yeah. I currently don't have a direct movement because they like boost her. But like, so I'm hoping like maybe I just have a room to myself and the sleep. But I doubt it. My school is super weird with


That


housing. They like


would


move


be


people and whatever they want. Yeah, it would be


So how far is your hometown from your school?


Two hours and 58 minutes


Oh my gosh, that's a lot


coming


closer


up.


than I thought.


Yeah. It's closer, my school is closer to my hometown. The new york city is to my hometown, which is interesting. New york's huge


So


now


are you


that


making


you can go


the drive back tomorrow if you start classes on thursday? Yeah.


what?


Did you say you start on the 27th?


Yeah. Yeah. No, no, I moved back on Tourism with the classes start on the 31st.


okay. Gotcha. I was gonna say you're gonna have to get moving if you have to leave tomorrow.


Oh no, no, I didn't feel at home,


And


I'm like packed and everything just ready to leave, but not really such a weird situation.


yeah. It's hard to be excited about going back right now with all the uncertainty and you don't know if once you get there, if they're going to send you right home, so


Yeah, that's what I'm super scared about, like trying to pack super lightly just in case like if they send me back, I'm just like outward there really quickly because like the first time they set up kicked us out, kicked us out, but they gave us like four day notice and they're like, you have to go figure it out and like even the kids who like were international students they have to go to and I was just like, this is not fair


So in the spring they said like you need to leave, you need to go


who


home.


like, just like that. I was like, everybody was anticipating it, but the way they went about it was super like, what was it?


Yeah. And it's hard, especially if you are in any of the science and engineering and you know, any of those programs that the labs are so important. That's really


like


hard.


learning remotely for like him or like by like by kevin, that was like, I just, I'm not excited for that. Like it was, it was hard last semester just because like, I did not know what was going on at all. I'm lucky I've been passed. But now like, it's like weirdly hybrid, we don't have a schedule. Like one of my teachers lost our testing time. Like I don't know how you do that. He was like a class. Like I lost the time interval for testing, I'll make


my


it


gosh.


up for you guys. It sounds like, so when are you going to test you? He goes, oh, just ask the teacher to switch with me. And I'm like, if you do it at a time where I'm not available then I'm going to have to lose my class. And it's like my schedule cannot change anymore. So it's like kind of ridiculous. Everything,


And that's


insane.


it's just a lot of stress on people and a lot of uncertainty and I think if you knew when the end date would be, would be one thing, but it's like this thing could be on on next summer to you really have no


no, no,


idea. So.


no, hopefully it does not. This


I agree.


this is such a weird summer, like it's been such a long summer, but it's in such a short summer. I just this is creeping me out the seal


You couldn't


until we


whole lot. That the first time I did one of these conversations was I'm trying to think if I was still in north Carolina or if I left to go back to pennsylvania. It was like right around the time this all started and I think I must have just got back to pennsylvania. So like you didn't know how serious it would be. Like, I think at that point I had wedding scheduled for the summer and I was like, oh

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Oh really? Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Yes.


And


like the weddings will still happen. And now thinking back to that point in March, it's like, oh my gosh! For six months now, we've been living in this weird world.


Six months? That's insane, wow. Oh


When


my


you think about it?


Like Yeah, like I'm literally, it was spring break. Um I had been on campus because I was doing like this log thing, spring break, I was like lounging around watching Love Island. My friend, like I was just living the life. And like I had heard like whispering like my friend who was in shanghai, she was like, I don't think I might be able to come back, this thing


is serious.


gosh.


And I was like, what? What are you talking about? What? No, like I thought it was like, not that big, I thought it was like the flu because that's what everyone was saying. And as I was also sick because I had like an ear infection stuff and I was like, holy shit, I can't leave


the house


at all. Like, I stayed in my room the whole time and then everyone came back and was like, maybe it's back to normal. And then the seniors, like I had a lot of senior friends, they came in one day, they were bawling their eyes out. I was like, what's going on to go? We might not be able to graduate. I was like, what are you talking about? And then literally two weeks later, the school sends a text while I'm in lab to like first ascended to a 70 member. So the faculty member is on my phone. He goes, oh my God, they're shutting the school down. I was like, what? No, they're not where to get this, and I'm checking my email, but they didn't send, it, just didn't see it. And then I sent and I was like, okay, whatever. I just packed myself and didn't finish a lot. I was like, I have to go like, whether it was insane. And like one of my friends, she was in Virginia and her sister drove all night and picked up the next day and she was just gone. It was like one by one, everyone just started leaving and all the seniors were like super sad because like four years down the drink because you don't get a graduation, you don't get that like moment of like and I was just like this is not fun. Yeah.

Yeah. Uh Yeah. Mhm wow. Okay, wow. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.


So did they do anything for the seniors, like did they get to do a virtual graduation or anything or they just holding off?


So like it was kind of virtual. It was kind of like they just said their names but like it was not like nobody at the podium was just like audio of like their names being called and stuff and everyone was on it and that they're not planning on doing anything in the fall really. Like they like, no, like what I did, me and my my older


hold on.


minute we like printed out like fake diplomas from our senior friends and I want the names on it because I was like, I feel so bad. Like what have I seen your friend? She was like the first person in her family to graduate that's supposed to be like huge. Everyone like all her family from like across the country and from cubes to come and I was like I'll make it up raise, I don't have a chocolate and the fake diploma. I was like, hey go talk to your family. It is


what?


what it is. I'm sorry. But


You know, funny I was in a my Master's program, we were supposed to graduate in May and they never said a word about it and as I was thinking about the seniors at your school, I'm like they have not communicated anything


Well


like I think


you will. Oh my God. Your master's program said nothing


now and


so you don't have your degree?


well I have my degree but I never had a graduation, but now I'm thinking like they never said we they had talked about either having graduation this winter like you would walk in winter or that they'd have one next spring. But now that I think about it, I'm like they have not communicated anything, I don't know that we'll ever have, which I don't really care, it's you know for my masters I wasn't super invested like I I feel for the seniors and you know it would have been nice to just I got a cap and gown, I could take pictures at some point. I'm not super


It's good.


invested but it's so funny to think like they literally have not communicated


I think


about graduation


that's


since


crazy


this


there.


all happened


Like you have your degree, it's fine. Oh


pretty much.


no, that's crazy. But


Hi.


like you were in a master's program like what did you do your graduate for?


school counselling. So now I am working a middle school counselor.


That's cool.


Yeah it's something


Like


woman.


you started or like um uh


yep. So we started last week so kids are miserable. Teachers are miserable, were miserable. It's just it's completely virtual here. Um So just low morale. No one wants to be doing it, no one wants to sit on their computer all day. That's why I had shaken app you know. Um So it's just it's hard and as middle schoolers they want to be with their friends and they want to be social and they don't want to sit and listen to someone talk for eight hours and I mean they're on from eight AM until about three p.m. It's a long day, it's miserable. So it's it's not

Oh yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Okay. Oh


no.


great and I am interested


What?


to see


It's


my friends who teach in pennsylvania, they started today and there in person and I'm interested to see how long the schools stay open up there, like they have their face shields and everything. Uh But well see it's an interesting time to start

right. Mhm. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. All right.


Just


a career, especially one in a school


it's


but


a very interesting and I don't think about that like I like


because.


I knew people were like graduating and stuff like that but I didn't really think about like starting a new career especially in these times like the economy's down everything so different so like you adjust to this difference because that's not what you were taught in school but then afterwards you have to adjust to a new another new normal and like hopefully everything works out fine and like morale goes up so you can like I please enjoy your job but it's crazy.


Exactly. That takes the fun parts out right now but we were in our internships when this all happened so we were in like school placements and all of a sudden the school shut down and they were like you might not be able to graduate because you still need 100 or 200


Well.


hours. So you think about like labs and all the things that people physically need to be doing in person and then you think about counseling, like you need to be directly counseling these students and you get those hours. So we got lucky because you know we were able to move some hours around and things like that and council college students. But um yeah,


Yeah.


I just lost my train of thought. Sorry my friend, my friend is in an occupational therapy program and her graduation got pushed back like a year because she can't do her next placement yet. So


thank God


of people who are in grad school right now if they have a placement like they're getting screwed over because they can't do a physical therapy placement or occupational


therapy. So I got really lucky that I got out when I did. Uh


Oh


horrible. So I should think about it's also weird because well I think we'll up here anyway in my area I live in the Albany area but like we start school like september like, well they're starting school in september 13th. Yeah


wow.


and like I went to a charter school for middle school and we started like august and we ended in like june kind of area. So like, I was kind of used to that, but like, now that I'm thinking about it, like all of them, the U. S. People started really different times. So like when I heard that you guys already started, I was like a lot of super early. When did you guys end? You also ended like may


Well mid june


what?


they did they started a week earlier this year because of everything in the fall or in the spring. Um So they did start a week early just for orientation purposes but I know my friend he teaches in New Jersey and they don't start till mid september uh But yeah


we we go until mid june sell I don't know we'll see


so long. And how


over.


long are your school day is? Like 8 to 3?


okay 8 to 4 the kids have to be on until three and then it's like office hours and stuff from 3 to 4.


Cause wow, okay. Because when I went to high school at a public school, like classes ended started at nine ish and then dismissals at 3 15 and I was like this is the life, because I might try to school. We started at seven and end at five, which was you


gosh


and like in, on Fridays it would be like a half day, but like it didn't count because it ended for like four ish, which was our half day. Yeah. And I was like, this doesn't make sense, but I want anyway. And then I went to public school, I was like, this is white work, so like 83 wow, it

wow. Okay. Yeah. Yeah wow. Uh huh. Sure. Yeah.


So


seems so


were you,


long.


I know it does especially in front of a computer where you, did you grow up in Albany area?


Um, well, okay, so kind of, I don't people ask like any time you think about this question, I just don't know what's how to answer really. So I was born in Benin africa and then I moved to when I was six and then


we


what


lived and like still Albany county, but like Albanese, weird albanese, like there's a county, there's a city, there's a district. So I live in Albany County which encompasses like a bunch of just areas. And then I lived in Troy new york which is another part of Albany. But then we moved, right when I started high school, we moved to the suburbs. So I would go to like over more suburbia in high school, that's what my parents said. So


No,


now I live in late them, so like I guess I kind of grew up anywhere


it's


but


funny because if you had said Troy a year ago, I would have no idea what that is. But my the roommate who did occupational therapy, she lives in Troy. Uh


It's super cool.


So I actually, I was out in called Lime Lake. I'm trying to think what town that spot. Mac ius. Okay. Yes. Some city in new york. Um But I was at her lake house recently. But yeah, she and her fiance, they live in Troy. So that's funny because otherwise I, a few months ago I would have had no idea


Even


that.


people, like, even people in boston boston college, they're like nobody like they don't even know all of it and I'm like opening is the big one that we have to know over the, so


It's


I just


the


go


state capital,


new york.


so they should know it.


I just go in new york and new york city, I'm like


Not


no, not


quite.


new york city, sorry?


That's funny. So do you have any siblings at your house with you right now?


No, I have a younger sister right now


Have


and we're


you


hoping,


guys been? And I was going to have you join this time together?


no. And I know it was kind of like still each other's tip talks and that's how we bond tip talks were


Shoulder.


tipped talks, but pick tops nonetheless. Yeah.


all my middle schoolers last year, they love Tiktok and I was like, I'm never getting on Tiktok like it's


I was


for


saying


a little bit.


So


the same. I was like, I don't want to be on Tiktok. That's just the stuff all they do is dance and like do it just like musically but like more cringe. E and then now I'm gonna ticked off like I downloaded the app again because I deleted because it's like done. Then I don't want it again this week and I'm like on it all the time. But this is funny. You have a problem with the thought, but


Even


like,


like cake decorating and stuff. Like there's so much cool


good.


stuff on there or like life. Hat.


like, yeah, I like life hacks, the amazon wishlist stuff and like the cooking ones. Those are like the nice one. So I'm like, I'm never gonna even buy anything. I'm not going to cook anything. But I'm gonna look because this is inspiring.


And it's nice when there's so much other stuff going on in the world and when your brain is so overloaded, it's nice to just do something mindless and to watch it and not have to think or not have to actively. Yeah, make any effort. So I don't know. I love


That's not


technology.


a lot to talk. Like it's just everything is there and you can just like, you end up in the weirdest places like last


But yes.


week I ended up on british to talk and I was like, what is this? I never clicked on anything. I don't know what they're saying, but it's funny. So yeah, it's like a new world,


Well


but


it's funny when it like shows you things that are tailored towards you. Like I've seen so many different locations and stuff in north Carolina recently or like things from Shits Creek and I'm like, how do they know that? I watch Shits Creek, which obviously they build it based upon the things you're liking and the videos you're watching and stuff, but it's just funny and it's like how does it know me so well? So


Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry, it's gonna be gone, but


I know, but I don't know if


it


I believe


is what


that


or


is.


not.


Yeah. Like uh I mean they are suing to like stay in like Microsoft's planning to buy them so like hopefully everything works out. But like then again, like I don't make any money off the abs so it's not me, it's gonna be hurting that much. It's going to be the other kids. So like for their sake, I hope it stays, but like, I'm sure there will be something else. Just like it. I mean like there's vine was musically tic tac.


I


Many


don't


voters.


know. I'll be I'll be pretty upset if it goes somewhere just because again, it's mindless. It's but I agree. We're not we're not profiting off of it were just, well we're profiting when we and it brings


enjoy


us happiness.


it. Yeah. Well like hopefully if it goes to like another company, they don't like change kind of like the formatting or like, because I really do like the way it's just, is like, it's a free kind of area kind of so like that. So the stairs assume.


it's definitely a good way to spend your time and


Yeah. Well waste your time with mike.


right, yeah, I love when the guy pops up and he's like, you've been scrolling for way too long and


They're like, are you sure you want to continue?


then you feel attacked by it, but


but you continue to netflix. Yeah.


So I set the timer, I wanted to make sure it didn't go off and burst your ear drums. Um so I thank right around 25 minutes, but it was nice to chat with you today


And


and


it's nice to chat with you and meet you as well.


I


hope


that


everything goes well for the school year.


thank you. I hope that you're moving everything goes smoothly and that day


Thank


can


you.


keep you there. I'll be checking up on boston College to see what the updates are.


Thank you. I'll check up on north Carolina


Don't


school districts to make


do it


everything's


there.


safe.


It's bad here, so don't


Hello.


do that. But goodness, well, good luck with everything and have a safe trip


You too. Thank you. Stay safe.


Hello?


How do


What?


you?


Good, how are you?


Pretty good, thanks.


Good. Well this is odd, isn't it? Talking to them too?


have you done this study before?


I have done it once before. Yeah, a


The


long time ago with a couple of months ago so.


Okay. Yeah, I did one yesterday, so that


have


would


fun.


be personal. Yeah.


Good. Was it fun?


Yeah, it was nice. The person I talked to was very nice.


Yeah, I had the same experience. It was very nice and I liked her enormously. So that's fun. Raymond. Well


I think.


what should we talk about?


Mhm. I don't know. Mm.


Well tell me about you. What do you what do you do? Are you are you a student? Are you working? What are you doing?


Yes, I am a student. I'm not doing much during the summer. I was planning on hopefully finding an internship but of course about defensive happening. So I've been trying to keep myself busy doing online classes and things. What about you?


Well I am, I'm a professor so I actually have the same problem because I helped. Right, So I have I've been going online too, so I've been teaching my classes online. I only had one this summer, but yeah, that's the kind of the same thing, right? Getting ready to, I don't know what we're doing in the fall, Are we teaching online? Are we teaching in person? What are we doing?


And


I don't know nobody, No.


my,


No one knows.


my school has yet to really announce anything either. So same boat.


school, my school could just continually announces like we might go online, but we don't have to go online, but we might, but thank you for your flexibility, you


Yeah, it's the same


know?


with me. Oh,


So, and


I


I'm in


dont


florida.


ballroom.


So our numbers are high. So we'll just see how this goes. Yeah, we'll see when we have this go. So, what are you studying?


I study psychology actually. Um


that's very fun.


yes, it's very fun. I really enjoy it. And I also minor in gender studies, so. Yes.


Good. Well, part of my PhD was in gender studies, so, yeah, I


Yeah.


know that world very, very well. Great. What do you do with that?


I am still sort of trying to figure it out. Like I definitely want to do something in sort of at least a diversity and inclusion realm, whatever that. Maybe


That's


if I try to do that in psychology or in the business world, I don't really know yet. Something like that.


Yeah. No, that's okay. You can figure that out. You don't have to figure that out in college. You're on the life. You're fine. That's what I tell my students all the time. You don't have to figure it out right now. Just


Thanks


have to figure out. Just figure out the next step. That's what we got to do.


for real.


Like I'm going to get up and go to class. That's all you have to figure out. Please love of God, let's do that.


Yes, I still struggle with that. But yeah, I went into my senior year so it's definitely on my mind.


yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, no, that's okay. You'll be all right. Just remember this. This is a universal truth. And I tell my students all the time, your first job will be terrible. It's a point. It's okay. It's fine.


Learning experience.


Well, you get your first job, you learn something out of it, you go to the next job, you learn something out of it. It's fine. You're okay. You don't have to have it all figured out. Don't you don't have to get your perfect job the first time out, it's great if you do,


Yeah, that would be awesome.


I don't know anybody who did that. So like all of my acquaintances, friends, I just can't imagine you've got to figure it out, you're fine, you're doing great.


Thank you.


I actually have a student who is I teach theater and so I kind of a student who's a double major in psychology and theater who is going into uh fine arts therapy, that's your point.


That's really fascinating. I'm sure that'll be a cool


Actually


field.


actually and I had another I had another, I've had multiple students who have done the double major in theatre in psychology and um my other one is actually currently getting into trying to get his M. F. A. And acting. So you know psychology is going to go out the window and he started to walk on his craft, you know what I mean


For sure. Although


that far?


I felt that I think psychology is helpful for like anyone like just in general, understanding people like that


initiated


will help you no matter what


then


you do.


actually. Exactly, yeah. No it's great. Absolutely.


Yeah. And it does sort of go hand in hand with acting. Probably. Yeah, I didn't really think about that before. You got to understand.


Well it does it does work really well. Yeah, there's a there's some really interesting dramas, therapy um people out there and and thoughts that really haven't you know become popular shall we say. But they're really bad into things so much more. There's some good work happening with veterans coming back from the war and dealing E. T. S. G. And through with drama therapy so.


I don't know. Yeah, I hadn't heard about that in my classes before. I'm sure that's a fairly


Well


new thing.


you know Adam driver who's the Star Wars actor? He's got a huge organization that does that like that was that's like his yeah


Yeah.


he's like all about that's really interesting.


That is interesting.


Oh okay so that he's odd looking human but he's a really good after that. He's a really good actor. So


Yes, I agree. Yes.


apparently he found I'm of course quoting like you know from memory here so who knows what they're telling you the truth. But I think what I read was that because you know he's a veteran and he was dealing with some ptsd himself and found theater and acting that way. So that's how


I didn't


we


know


got


his story.


all red. Yeah.


I'm glad you found that.


Yeah, I mean it's great. Right. Yeah, it's really interesting and you know, he's helping other vets, so that's cool.


Yes. Anything to do that is a good cause


Yeah. Yeah. So what do you do for fun?


for fun. Well, I've been watching a lot of tv really? Um well, well, the class I'm taking right now through course Sarah, it's called The Science of Happiness. I've been doing that. I've been


No, no,


that.


no,


Yeah, it's completely free. So I've just been doing it when I feel like it's been really nice. I highly recommend it.


I'll have to take it. I've seen it and thought about it and I haven't done it.


Yeah, the professor is awesome. So she explains everything really well.


Okay, Okay. I've taken a few coursera classes. I'll have to get, I'll have to


Face


Put that one on my list.


Yeah, that was, it's very low stress. So it's a good time. What


that's


about you


good.


you've been doing during these weird


Yeah, it's weird, right? Like I think a lot of tv it's amazing how much video consume in


Restudied long, prolific.


I um let's see, I've been going outside a lot more so


That's great.


going outside for a run and getting outside for, you know, just in fact, just to sit on the porch, like just to be outside and see other people. Like I think I've gotten to the point where I need to see other students because I don't go or go out, you know, um you know, I get a Starbucks once a day from the drive through, you know, fully masked


I


nothing else. So you know, it's like you just need to kind of get out of the house a little bit more. You know what I mean?


definitely, yeah, I've been trying to do that too.


Hard. It's really hard.


Four.


It


It is


sort of feels like everything shut down in a way that like you don't, you like all your connections shut down to, although I've also been in way more contact with all my friends like from college, but you know, we've been zooming and it's you know, great. We get to see each other way more than we used to. So kind of fun.


That's awesome. Yeah. Uh


I do miss, I did miss, I usually go up for a couple weeks to see my best friend and do some research and some writing and things


Oh, that's a


that Georgia I didn't get to because you know quarantine. So


I've had so many plans, but I've just been gone because of its so annoying.


yeah well we're starting to talk about we're we we just said yesterday maybe we should just go maybe we should just get an Airbnb and just like scrub the place down and just do it because we've both been quarantining and we don't have it so you know


Yeah, I think, yeah, one person can't hurt if you know that they don't have


then


it.


you know and you know we're going to go right back to our houses and just stay there so it's not like we're going to spread it anywhere if we did. Mhm And I really don't know how I would get that. But anyway so you so you're going back to school are you going back onto campus or do you,


Um So they're still being very vague about that. I mean like one or two classes that have like over 300 people and it's so obviously that class is not happening, but I'm also in a, Like I'm doing my university writing requirement, not only has about 20 people, so I might be going to that class. I'm not really sure yet. They still haven't said anything. Yeah.


We're doing a thing we're doing


What?


a thing for classes where it wouldn't work for 300 obviously, but like 20, what we do is we have two groups and so 10 people would be in the room and 10 people are on Zoom. So you're teaching like you're something you're online and sometimes you're not online, it just


I


depends.


think that's a good balance. Yeah. That seems


Well,


like not your solution.


yeah, so we'll see how that works because you know, when you're wearing a mask in the classroom, I don't know if it's going to be the same. You might,


I doubt it.


I think that problem. So I'm thinking um I might do something a little different, I might do it, I might do like a separate one where they can actually see my face and they can hear me more clearly because I'm afraid, I'm afraid, especially in the theater, they're just not going to hear it or it's gonna be unclear or


Yeah, but drama classes,


damage.


that's that's going to be a weird one. Yeah, I don't know.


Well, fortunately so I so I this semester we don't have, we have an acting class in the Stagecraft class. Both of those are very hands on. I


And


have an advanced prop making class, which is also very hands on, but a little more independent, so I don't, it's not quite the same. Um and the others are all writing and reading and thinking two, because I think I'll be okay interactions, stage design


it was,


and dramatic writing. So I think I can, I think I can manage those. Those are going to be, I think mostly online, so oh,


don't see having any issues though.


we're gonna be fine. I just need to not get the corona, so you


That is important.


want to get to, that's


What, what


what


did you say you're in again?


I'm sorry, what


Which state


I mean, florida,


florida? Okay. I missed it before. Yeah. Yeah,


I think florida,


I'm


I don't


in


know.


California, so I'm also sort of in a bad, but


so you're


innocent,


in, so it's better up here than down in, so cal,


Yeah. Well, yeah, I, yeah, no, I'm in the hotbed of the world, I believe


you


it's


know,


very fun,


fine,


very fun. So


this


fun.


women


Yeah. At any point, I just know we're going to get shut down, like there's we are getting to the moment now. We're like, yes,


at least they're going to get, hopefully


I think they're going to get there. I think they're going to get there. I mean we're just


there's a lot of strange people in your legislation, Huh?


Yeah. Well, my governor isn't it actually? I'm surprised I didn't vote for him um before this, he actually did some really nice things, some


that's


reaching


great.


across bipartisan work, you know, it was great, but now this is like way above his pay grade and he's but he's terrible. Really, really bad.


So,


So um yeah, so that hasn't worked out great for him and apparently he was supposed to be a presidential contender. Got it. What? Someone you can look


Anymore.


right? No, no, he's bungled this one really badly, so. Yeah.


Well, he's not alone. Lots of governors are messing up.


Well, I mean you don't need when you when you elect a governor, you don't think to yourself, can they handle a worldwide pandemic?


It's


You


absolutely


don't really about that? Like that's silliness. So


I well people think about it now at least.


no killing right? Like totally. Absolutely Can this person actually lead us through, you know, the terrible crisis? I don't know. I think the answer is mostly know for people who go into politics, but we'll see.


Yeah, I would have to agree with.


Very little. They're a special animals are the ones who actually wanted to be actually wanted to be president when I was little. Very little. And somewhere


But


along the line I just lost that.


yeah it seems like a soulless job. Honestly, I couldn't handle it


Yeah, I don't well I wanted to do it because I wanted to make change. Right? I wanted to do


so


something.


hard.


I don't actually do anything.


No, not at all


So that got lost in college


early.


when I decided to be a theater person instead.


that's a great option.


What I wanted to do what I was supposed to do anyway. So it's fine. It's fine. Mhm. Exactly what I was supposed to do. So,


our five.


So the coronavirus numbers aren't bad where you are.


Yeah like my particular town I go to UC Davis um and it's very it's like 50% college students. So everyone here is like very educated mostly doing what they're supposed to do. So the numbers have been pretty down where we're at. So a lot of stuff has been open. I've been like masking it up and like going and getting takeout, not actually staying in the restaurants even though that's open because that's just too risky. But it's been nice like at least there's been some sense of like normal see a little bit


Yeah. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, I think.


in the Bay Area at first, but I think our area was really good about shutting down like when it first started. So it's been way better now we're


Right. And here in florida, when we did shut down, we didn't really shut down like, but there were just a lot of people who were like, this is a hope is and just running around like mad, you know, chickens with their heads cut off and


man.


not missing love. And my um my my subdivision has, I don't know if they do this in California. This is a very specific florida thing that we have like community amenities. And so like you have uh you have a bunch of houses, but then they have like pools and playgrounds and things that are all community


that's nice.


owned. And so but the great controversy has been when with the pool open because home I do that I want my pool. And you know everybody's like it doesn't spread to the water. No your name, your face. Which is the virus spreader is above the water.


I


That would


know.


be the problem. All right.


hmm.


Oh florida.


Yeah,


Oh yeah.


it's a fun place.


Well I've gone past the pool a couple of times and there's no social distancing. There's no math, nobody's doing anything.


What a disaster.


Well I'm not using the pool.


Smart.


There is a


Very smart.


I'm gonna be using a pool. That will be madness. Madness. But


it is.


we have


You know.


in our community has been doing um well they started doing it and then they had to stop it because people were being terrible. They were having food trucks come to our neighborhood and they were part and so there would be like, you know like a couple of times a week you could go and you know


that's nice.


I know my food truck, which is kind of but then then people started bringing lawn chairs and then it became a large outdoor picnic.


what are they doing?


And then you have to go, no, stop, stop, stop. Okay.


I would be so madly


there's just so much crazy in florida. There's so


and there


much


is,


it's actually going down now. So I think like when the numbers were really low, everybody was going like, well, I don't know anybody really. It's fine.


yeah, it's


And then and then, you know, people start dropping like flies and then they go, Mhm


mm hmm. Maybe I should


Maybe


think about


I


my


still


actions.


do something about this. Huh? Well anyway, passing


Yeah, it's just a bummer that we couldn't just do it earlier. Like every other country and then we


night.


couldn't be actually out of this. I know probably, I don't know, we're such a huge country. It's a little different for us,


But


but like uh some


well,


of the people,


I love I have several countries that I love because I live I've lived overseas a number of times and I'm


that's so cool


like, I look at look at like the Netherlands and I look at the Czech Republic and you know, I look at them and just go, you're


All


doing well, I


yeah I want to go there


want to go get coaching and go


it's


to there. I cannot because we can't novel now because the world has shut us down because we're idiots.


because


That


we're done it's what we deserve.


Yeah. Right now we actually deserve that. But it's like having a group project, you know, this very well and we're the ones who are doing the work, right? And then there's one kid who can't


but


do the work.


to follow directions


Always one, there's always


uh huh and it's like I get it at the same time like these people have been disenfranchised like and want to go against the system that doesn't help them and I totally understand that sentiment, it's just a bummer that we can't sort of reach an understanding you know I just I


Right. Right. That we can't have a logical conversation about how about we lessen our chance of getting this by wearing a piece of cloth across our


faith. Right? That seems like a very reasonable thing to say.


yeah I would think


Well, I probably wonder too. I wonder because I know that the regional initial studies where it helps you not to spread it and now we're getting studies that say wearing that also helps you not to get it


Oh that's good, I didn't hear that


But one well yeah like there was a recent study, I don't know, I don't remember where it came out of it. It was published I believe in the Lancet which is you know high quality medical Journal that it's 65% lowers your own risk by 65%.


Honey


Which is very nice. Indeed. I will take that odd. I was


helps.


I actually I actually made masks before they said it. I made homemade mass from the family.


head


The problem


of the game


is I was looking at Asia and I was going huh their coronavirus numbers are very low and they have a mask culture. I will wear that and that.


very smart, yep I wish we handled it like Korea they did so well they didn't even have to shut down because


I


everyone


know.


just you know other people there it's crazy


I'm obsessed with Korea because I'm obsessed with korean television. So


mm I watched all that. Yeah


I got to do that. So amazing. I'm going back for you. Yes. What do you want? Like what are you, what are your favorites?


well the last one, I watch a lot of cheesy romance from them but


What else is there korean television? Everything is this.


She well


didn't know if you watch a more sophisticated television


he is


or something


not


the last


included


four,


telling him


I was like, what's wrong with secretary kim? I don't know if you heard of that one,


I haven't


I really


seen


enjoyed


her.


it. The acting is fun.


It's everything about korean romances and dramas is fun. Like it's so


I agree.


it's so much fun. Have you seen My Love from Another Star?


I haven't. Is that honor to me like netflix


that's


or


like


room?


The Quintessential one.


Good


It's


to know.


Good, It's Good.


What's it called again?


That


Let's


my


see


Love from Another Star,


My


it


love.


sometimes has sometimes has different, it'll kind of be, sometimes they'll be english translations that are variations of that, but that's the one I just got the DVD for my birthday because


and naive.


and to own it forever according to my husband. So it's really good. It is extraordinarily good.


goods and I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the rec.


I got started in korean television because at one point you lose suggested that I might want to watch Vampire prosecutor with.


I've heard about


it's so ridiculous. It is the most ridiculous piece of television I've ever seen in my life and I was obsessed. Like


it's


so


so fun. Yeah,


so I mean like there's several things you have to get over, like vampires in Korea are different. Like they have different rules, they can go up in the sun that's


I'm


fine fine of they can drink uh like their blood requirements are different. Like they can have, it's all very confusing. Um Then they can just but so basically what this guy does is he goes and he will find a murder victim and if he tastes the blood he can tell you what happened and then he investigate it that way


that's


and it's compact,


kind of time,


right? So um also a prosecutor in Korea is like the person who prosecutes the case but also investigates it. So like it's and


sounds like a lot of work.


it was like a lot of work but also it's really, I don't know anyway. I would that's that then it was just a slippery slope from there. And then next thing you know


I love


you're watching


it. I love it so much,


I love korean intelligence so much and then of course I know I want to go to Korea which now I can't do because


yep. Of course not. And their food


My miracle.


to amazing uh korean barbecue, delicious.


Oh right. I have


No,


we have a place close to the house called bon chon. I don't know if you have they don't you know it's


I don't,


franchise but I'm not sure. Um It's a korean fried chicken restaurant. Yeah.


Yeah, I've seen in the shows that they're fried chicken is kind of big thing.


literally it's crazy delicious. I know that sounds like I write I watch T. V. A lot and I would I would see them eating chicken and go well that must why is it so delicious? We have I live in the south. I know a project


fried chicken,


uh it's like fried chicken. It is not there is actually more delicious,


wow, I did not know that


extraordinary. So, so like, you know how if you get like, if you get Kentucky fried chicken and you put it in your fridge the next day, it's kind of gross.


its board. Yeah,


Not delicious anymore. Korean fried chicken stays crispy, no matter how long you leave it in the fridge, I don't know, it's magic. I think it's vampires.


perhaps I


I mean


think


the


it's


parts


about,


are different, so I don't know. So we'll get, we'll get korean fried chicken every once in a while, just for fun.


yeah, that's awesome. If there's a place in florida what


so good.


good on?


So good. So then, you know, then there's the danger of, you know when you're watching a korean television show and then you go, oh, hey, they just got some korean fried chicken. Maybe I should pick up the float.


Oh man, that's dangerous.


Right, dangerous. Came to play. Oh, it's really good though. It is very


I like


good.


it, jealous. I wish we had a place.


Yeah, no, and I've lived in places far from korean food and I'm glad not to have to do that anymore. Yeah.


At least you have that. If you can't live in Korea, have that.


Yeah. Yeah. Live in Korea. At least you're going to have something, yep. Well it looks like we are at 25 minutes.


Yeah, we did it. It's been a little pleasure.


Well what a pleasure as well. I hope you have a wonderful school year. I


thank


hope


you.


you don't get the coronavirus. You're doing everything right. So my


they


love


say


from Another Star, you watch it


I will definitely check it out. Thank you for that.


really good. It's really good. You'll love it.


Hopefully


What to you?


you


Why?


Uh huh. Okay. Yeah, actually, yeah. Mhm. Right, mm hmm. Yes. Okay.


Hello?


What can you in? It's not something


what?


uh is my microphone working?


Yeah, yeah, I can hear you won I don't want my stuff. All


Your stuff is all good.


so you got here through the prolific thing


christian,


or?


that is exactly what happened yet. Um yeah, I mean, I read through uh so I guess we're supposed to talk for 25 minutes. Yeah.


that's that's what it sounds like.


Well, hi. Yeah, I'm sam


I'm James.


to meet you James letter. Uh where are you from? James


Uh Well I'm originally


number?


I'm from California, I live in Portland. Uh huh.


Nice.


The the Oregon one, not the main


Not


one.


the main one that would be a little closer to me. I'm over on the east Coast, I'm in massachusetts uh


nice place I've been, I've been to the East Coast


finished


a few times. My parents, my grandparents were from new york,


Nice. Yeah, that's actually that's where I grew up was in new york and I moved out for high school. Um and then I went to college


it


out


would


here and


good thing.


uh yeah, um I'm actually, I just, this past year bought a house that I've been renovating, which is where I'm at right now. Yeah,


congratulations.


yeah, Thanks. Yeah, it was, I mean I did it with my parents, I would not have been able to do that just myself. But yeah my mom and I bought a big very old farmhouse um


What?


sort of like a rural part of the state and yeah just like I've just been renovating it and hopefully we'll be rent actually it's a multi family so there's some rental units. Yeah. What about you what do you what do you do out in Portland? Yeah. Yeah


I'm


thanks.


I'm unemployed at the moment,


Bottom


I'm looking for work,


of


but I learned to code relatively recently, which


well.


it's been fun, it's been kind of fun.


That's


I've


true,


always been,


interesting.


you know, a big computer guy as a, since I was a kid and I always just sort of assumed that coding was never going to click for me, like it didn't, I took a couple of runs at, it didn't make a lot of sense as far as I can tell, but then I went to a to a code school out here uh like two years ago and now it makes more sense. Uh I'm kind of hoping to get into making games, but that's apparently that's a different, it's like a different industry from, you know, just coding websites, it's the same basic principles and everything, but but there there's also some some differences. And it turns out if you go, if you go to like a coding meet up and talk to industry


Of


people, they you get you get some pushback if you say, oh I want to make game, it's like, oh well, you know, that's that's great, but if you consider that, that's no way to make a living and like come on man, Yeah, but


Yeah


uh


interesting. Yeah I don't know too much about coding. I did trying to think. I've done some like data analytics stuff but never anything with like real could like a little bit of our kind of um but not no no real coding languages. Um Yeah I'm trying to figure out what the next we'll see what the next thing is going to be. Um I've worked for a couple of years for like a campaign finance reform organization sort of doing political research, mostly like data stuff. Um But yeah, then I got an apprenticeship with a handyman uh which was a lot more fun than working in an office. Um And I did that for a couple of years and uh yeah, I'm thinking maybe that will be, we'll see renovating the house was like a lot of fun. It's really been much better than sort of my previous employment which has been uh yeah, I haven't totally loved being in an office environment necessarily.


I I I like the I like the idea of getting to sit down while I work and also not having to do something where I'm like where it's like customer facing, where, you know, you can get yelled at that, that's uh well, bye bye customers. I mean you can always get yelled at by someone I guess, but but yeah, I don't know, I I would I would take

Oh okay. Yeah. Yeah. Right, mm. Uh huh, wow.


But


an office job, although yeah, it's not like what I would love to do


on the, oh


it's not, it's got its downsides.


thank you dad. Um somebody like to do for fun, do you, are you a video player in addition to liking to build them?


Oh God. Yeah, I don't think I would


Pick


be,


up?


I don't think I'd be as interested in making them if I if I wasn't uh in the playing them. Mm When I


What


when I


kind


was


of games


like


you


six, my parents got me super nes and since then, you know, it's I've been pretty into him.


uh what what kind of games any like any kinds in particular


I mean, I've always been a big


gonna


fan


be?


of RPGS and I like action stuff,


No.


I like, I'll play most stuff. What I'm, what I basically, it's probably easier to say what I'm not into, which is mostly like really realistic sports games. Like I could never get into Madden or


sir,


uh, or you know, the


like.


other light and stuff like that. I like NFL blitz, but I don't think they make games like that anymore sort of arcade style sports. I like


I


the Mario


think


ones where there's power ups


how


like if I'm gonna be racing cars or something, I want the cars to be able to shoot missiles. Probably instead of just, you know, super


you


realistic


know.


driving.


No. Yeah, interesting. Uh My brother is like a big, he's a big gamer, he does a lot of RPG stuff, he used to be really in the room escape, he was like a top tier rinse K player back in the day.


I played room escape when I was


One.


in middle school. I am, my understanding is it's still around, but they have like totally now there's Room Escape classic, which I assume is what I played forever ago. And then there's like a newer one that looks like more, more like a modern experience. Uh I've actually fallen off, I've kind of fallen off multi player gaming mostly recently. Like I I don't think I could get back into an MMO because lots of them, lots of them charge you so now like you're


get


paying


up.


to play it. So it feels like I like I played wow for a little while and you know, other MMO s and it, it got into a thing where like I would feel like I wasn't planning to get like I had to be playing the game a certain amount because I'm paying for it monthly, but then that turns it into a job, which is not great for for me in terms of having fun doing it.


Right. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah, I never got big into games, I haven't been trying to think. I mean, yeah, back in the day you spend like halo, you know like way back or like Call of Duty, but that's we're talking like 10, 15 years now.


Oh yeah, I mean they're still, they're still making call of duties and I think halo just came back recently. Although it's not, you know people say oh it's not as good as old old hey. Whoa. Yeah.


Um Any pets, any animals in your


Uh No not not right now when I was when I was a kid I had a cat um Name your snickers, she was a she was a maine coon she was you know sort of brown and gold like the colours and its Snickers bar I guess. Uh And yeah I mean I I loved her but she's she's dead now, she's been dead a while. I was I was actually away at a school in Vermont that my family kind of forced me to go to for reasons I won't get into. It's actually it's pretty I have a d d uh it was uh it was it was in Vermont actually so on the east coast it was the landmark college I think is what it's called and it was for you know the learning disabled or whatever you're supposed to call, stuff like that. Uh I hated it there, that's the that's the short version of that. And uh while I was away, my cat died and my parents decided that they didn't want to tell me over the phone, so when I visited home for my birthday, that's when I got to uh to

nice, Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Uh huh. Mhm. Uh huh,


jeans


find out that my cat


as


was


careful,


no longer alive, so that was that wasn't great. Uh And then where I'm living, I live in uh I live in,


I.


it's it's an apartment building that anyone can live in, but so it's not technically student housing, but they've got like an arrangement with uh Portland State, which is nearby, so there's a there's a lot of students here and they have some people have parents, but I think maybe it's supposed to be a service dog


No.


or something, or management decides it on a person by person basis, but uh but not not a great pet situation here, you


I'm thinking about getting a cat. I uh I had a cat growing up and my parents um and yeah, I'm thinking it's time I was bouncing around for like a really for a while. Um I lived in spain for a couple of years, I was kind of just like itinerant traveling around um And yeah this is like the first time in a while where I've been settled a little bit, so I'm thinking maybe it's time to like well, see I used to I used to actually have had a dwarf rats for a while, so I would I had like a friend who was like a rat breeder um and she had these really like interesting, I know most people when you say like pet rat, they like sort of looking like you're crazy but uh they were really cute and super well trained and for for a while when I was in high school and college I had, I had like these roads instead of big cage. Um


Uh huh.


Yeah, I'm thinking probably cat uh, in the, in the foreseeable future. Um


Mhm.


and who knows? Maybe we'll get, I'm like thinking about maybe getting chickens actually. Um Now


Well,


I have


the other


some space.


chickens are huge out here in Portland.


Yeah. Really? I'm shocked. Weight in Portland. Like the city of Portland.


Oh, yeah. You know, we're the we're the wacky hipster city, so raising chickens is totally a thing to do out here.


That's hilarious, wow. That's incredible. Yeah,


I


I've heard.


I've had friends, I have some friends who who have pet rats. I,


but not.


you know, they say rats seem cute, although it's also my understanding that they only live like two years, so it can be kind of rough uh emotionally


it's true.


if you get attached.


That's, that is, that is the thing. They don't live very long. Um But yeah, I would train them. I had them like litter box trained and I would teach them to do tricks and stuff. They would like would come on command and you snap your fingers. They were really smart world. Yeah. I think what I might do if you go to the animal shelter around here, you can actually foster in the spring, you can foster kittens. So you get like a mom cat with like some kittens. Uh And then at the end you get to keep one, which I think maybe maybe that's what I'll do apparently pretty like time intensive, which is why they try to offload that work on to, you know, volunteers.


makes sense. I've really what I've really


You


always wanted


know.


in a dog, but I also, I've only ever, you know, I talked about my cat, but there was a there was there was a family cat before that, and my mom actually got two cats after mine died. They are also maine coons. But they don't know me because I haven't been around as much, so they don't let me get near them. Uh But I I've


Hold


always kind of wanted


on.


a dog, but I also know that's like a whole different level of responsibility and


you know, you got you got to walk a dog and


It's almost like having a toddler or something. I would worry just because I'm kind of I'm like a little I'll go away for an evening or a weekend or whatever just on the fly. Um And like that would be I think really hard to do that with the dog. Whereas the cat, maybe I could. Yeah. I mean I don't even know that is one thing I have to consider with, you know, whole pet is that I'll be.


cat is, I don't want to say a cat is, you know, find a leave on their own because you shouldn't do that with most pets probably. But yeah, cat will is probably good for longer than a dog. I mean, I've got a couple of friends out here who they they've got a baby now. I think their kid is like too. But they got a dog first. And uh on my my friend, I was in the wedding party, I was a groomsman I think is what it's called. Uh So I went I went to the bachelor party and as we were leaving for that uh my friend Justin he got a call from his wife saying that the dog had just gotten into like the medicine cabinet and the dog ended up being fine but they did have to take it to the vet to like get her stomach pumped and uh

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Uh huh. Mhm. Yeah. Mm. Yeah.


Holy Yeah, that's


and


crazy.


that wasn't free apparently. So


Yeah. I can only imagine. Mm


yeah that that seems like more of a dog situation than than when you end up with with with a cat.


Yeah. Although cats can definitely be assholes for sure. My my parents cat when I was a kid growing up as a kind of addict me, you know, stuff off your bedside table or whatever, tap water glasses on to you. Mhm. Oh


I mean there was a there was a period it was between between longer term cats, I think it was when molly the original family cat died, but before snickers that we we went through a couple of other uh cats that we tried to adopt and one of them was from a shelter. And I don't know, I think she had had a couple of bad owners and uh she liked me but not the rest of my family and she was if you if you tried to stop petting her uh you might get bitten.


Uh huh That sounds like


And so so yeah, we we ended up returning,


Let's go.


returning her


So


what else


then there


do you


were the new cat that my mom got which again won't come near me, but for a while they would go into my room


but


and chew through various chords and laces and things. So yeah. Cat


And


scan.


feel all destructive I guess. Uh huh. So what else uh do you like to do in Portland? Are you like a bike rider? Rock climbing? I don't mean that, I don't know.


I actually I before I lived in Portland, I lived in Bend, which is out more in central Oregon. Uh and when I and when I lived there I did I biked pretty much everywhere because I don't I actually don't have my driver's license, I never, when I was a teenager I just never got around to getting it, I did get my permit and I took the test a couple times but I never passed and I just never seemed like that high a priority for me because I guess I assumed that I would always live at home with my parents and you know there there was food downtown, there was a fry's electronics up the road so why would I ever need to go farther than like half a mile away. And uh and now I just don't have a car to practice where there anything plus in uh Portland actually pretty good public transit and there is no free parking anywhere, so owning a car at all would. Yeah you know that much more expensive but I bike everywhere in Bend and when I moved out here I didn't have room to bring my bike, but I thought like that I was gonna have to get another one immediately. But actually in public transit out here is, it's pretty, it's pretty robust, I can generally get between there's a train, a streetcar and then there's buses, so between those and you know, Uber, uh which I actually use fairly rarely, it's pretty easy to get around out here. So I just wanted up getting replacement

Uh huh. Yeah. Uh huh. Yeah. Right. Oh okay. Right. Uh huh. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, wow. Mhm, wow. Uh huh. Nice


question.


bike also biking in the city, kind of, the idea of buying


The


out here


credit.


kind of scares me because there are some horrible drivers.


yeah, that's interesting. Yeah, man, public transit out here sucks. I I got a car when I was like 16 because that was like, I was, it's like 15, 20 minutes to your friend's house. I mean basically to get anywhere you have to drive, I live in the boonies. Um uh Yeah, that's so wild. Yeah, I've had the same, I've had a car since uh since my junior year of high school. Um I can't even imagine, I don't know what I would do uh just to go to the grocery store, I have to drive, you know, basically it's like 10, 15 minutes almost. Um


Oh yeah, when I was in bed and I had to bike to the, that was the worst, that was the worst thing in Ben was yeah, it was like a half hour bike ride to Safeway and then of course I I I would have to bike back with the groceries. Which not not super fun but


No. Annual.


that was that was pretty much the worst that it got. So


Yeah. Yeah, that was one of the things I really liked about when I was traveling around was like, no, I didn't have a car and that was really, I'm so used to driving everywhere. I'll put I put like, you know basically 20,000 miles on a car in a year which is almost double what you do, what a normal person would. It's just just just to get around um Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. Uh Is it freezing? You know, I guess it's probably not that cold out in Portland, is it? Yeah.


it's it's not too bad. Uh Let me see what the weather is right now. But yeah, Bend was actually wait like in Bend it's probably snowing right now. I actually remember before I moved from Bend I was taking classes at school out there and I had this saturday morning class which sucked. But you know it was the only time


That


that it was


sounds


available


terrible.


and uh and it was like three degrees out uh you know eight a.m. And I was in class and I was I had my laptop out and I went and I checked you know the weather online? And uh you know like I said it was like three degrees


What?


and then on the sidebar because it was all in Oregon, there was the Portland weather. So I clicked out of curiosity and in Portland it was like Portland hits 30 degrees, there's snow, entire city shut down. And yeah, it's it's it snows all the time in band, but out here in Portland it snows maybe a couple of days a year and when it does like all the public transit just kind of stops I guess because we don't have a lot of plows out here. So apparently it's apparently it's cheaper to gamble on having to maybe shut everything down a couple of days out of the year than to

Okay. Yeah. Okay. Oh my God. Mhm. Yeah. Okay.


Send


keep


her life.


a whole fleet of stuff ready. That might not even get used. Yeah, it's 51 degrees out right now,


man.


which is


I think it's like why I want to say it's like 20 degrees where I'm at. No fun.


yeah, I remember when I was still in Ben. So again, it was


that was a


colder


lot.


there than here. I was still when the polar vortex happened a while back, like I was apparently outside of it, it was it was cool because it was winter. But yeah, it wasn't like in danger, like I would have been in a lot of the rest of the country I guess.


Right. Yeah, interesting. Yeah. I don't know. I'm hoping I'm actually about to go somewhere warm. I'm going to the Dominican republic for like 10 days at the end of january, which I'm really excited about. Yeah, I just just getting away and getting out of freaking massachusetts for a little bit. We'll see. Hopefully we'll do something for my mood maybe.


Last, last time I got out of America was


Our.


jesus, it was like 10 years ago actually, it was, it was a study abroad thing, went to uh went to London, which was, it was nice, but also London, London is kinda cold and gray and if it's freezing and raining in the morning so you dress heavy and then by the afternoon it's getting hot out so you regret dressing heavy Nice please.


I just I looked for really cheap flights, like I looked for like air flights. Um So I got a round trip ticket for, I think it was like $215.


Well jeez, that's that's not bad at all.


like really nice and everybody is super cheap so it's going to be, Yeah, it was great. I I'm excited. Uh Yeah, I like to travel when I get chance. Um It's been a little rare these days, but for a while I was I actually was working remote um just like on my computer. Uh And so I got to travel around for like a salad while um like I was living in Southern Spain for the most part and then traveling around um I actually uh I lived in Spain when I was in high school for take a little bit um sorry, I picked up spanish back in the day and Yeah. Right.


I I'm I'm from southern California but I never, I only ever learned a little bit of spanish my uh I actually took latin in high school partially at my parents insistence, I I think they said spanish would have been too easy, which I I mean yeah, that was the one that everyone saw as the easy one, but also probably would have been more useful. Latin was actually a lot of fun, but uh I've forgotten most of it because it's a dead language and if you don't use a language then and you know, no one, no one is doing anything new in latin, so you're basically looking at translating the unneeded or a

Okay. Uh huh. Mhm. Yeah. Right. Right. Okay.


Yes.


bullet, the same bunch of old political speeches over and over and over


Right. Yeah, I remember having the option to take latin back and I think I just fixed spanish um which I'm glad I did because I ended up, yeah I lived in the did a it was like a really weird, it was not an exchange I guess it was an exchange, but it wasn't like through school, it was through do you know rotary International? Like the rotary club? It's


I'm


like a


I know I've heard of the rotary club, but I'm not entirely clear on what it is or what it does


No, no I don't think anybody is entirely clear on what it is, but it's basically a kabbalah. Like basically it's like a bunch of like, like rich, like old people who get together and they sit and have one, they have like luncheons that's like ostensibly what it is. But one of the like weird things that they do is they send kids on exchanges. So like I had to like apply for it, you applied for it and I went to a bunch of meetings and I shook a bunch of hands and whatever and then they like pay for your trip and they give you money, like a stipend. Um It was the wildest thing. Uh yeah, it was like a really weird, so I just can't remember how I found out about someone that I knew knew someone who did it and they were like, have you ever heard of this thing? And I was like, no. And I just started looking at it, like, looking it up and yeah, so what ended up happening is a girl, a girl from Venezuela came to stay in my parents house and I went over to the Canary Islands, so it wasn't like a one for one, but it was like an exchange, like your house has to agree to take somebody. Um


Well,


Yeah, and then I just went, they just plopped me in high school in like a, like, just like, they're like, you're now a high school student, like here in the Canary Islands, uh here's your like, student idea or whatever. Um And I was not like, I didn't really speak spanish, I had just, you know, I took high school spanish basically. Um So for the first couple of months I was just felt like I had no idea what's going on, I couldn't do anything.


I like it like an immersion thing.


Yeah, but they weren't, there wasn't like very well organized is like, what I'm trying to illustrate is that basically they just said they were like, here's this like great trip. And they just kind of dropped me off in this foreign country were like, yes, like there you go. Um No, no real infrastructure. It was a very interesting experience, but it ended up being great. But yeah, the first couple of months I was like, oh, I mean it's ridiculous if anyway. Um well, I think we're like coming up on the 25 minutes. Yeah,


there's a there's a timer somewhere


Stop.


let me okay. It said


Call


there


me.


was it said


It


there was going to


was


be a timer that appeared on that page but I don't


so I see one on my page, it says 28. Um but I don't know if it's, I'm not sure when it started, so I guess we can keep going for another couple minutes and yeah.


yeah.


Oh, uh boy, I don't know what's what's the best game that you played like in the last couple months? Yeah,


I I have you heard about death Stranding


I have heard about that, yes. Even


that?


though I'm not a big number that


That's


somehow filtered into my like, you know,


Yeah, I mean I don't I don't know, you know Metal Gear Solid, that's


so I do I did play Metal Gear Solid a while back. I do remember that game.


like like just the original already played


no,


the series.


I think it was like Metal Gear Solid four, I want to say something like that.


But was were you a really old guy


Uh Were you a really old guy? Um


in Metal Gear solid for you? The the big series protagonist snake is like he's


but Yeah.


old because he's like a clone and he's got accelerated aging,


Little


he's got he's his hair is gray and he has a moustache.


Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes.


That's Yeah


Yes.


yeah you were you were old snake that ones that ones for But yeah, if you played forward then you got a pretty good idea of how like crazy that series uh gets and yeah, basically economy sort of mistreated hideo Kojima, the sort of guy who's who came up with all the, with most of the Metal gear stuff. It was sort of his series like they when Metal Gear solid 51 some big award like economy wouldn't let him accept it in person and there was a whole bunch of stuff about, they weren't letting him leave his offices or something. Uh and then eventually they fired him and he started his own company and Death Stranding is his first big game. And like during the four


Book.


year run up to its release, it was just all these crazy teasers and trailers. I'm like, oh look mads. Mickelson is in this your norman Reedus Guillermo Del Toro is there uh Conan O brien is in the game?


Weird. Yeah.


it's yeah, it's just a whole bunch of crazy like celebrity cameos and I mean the actual game is you're right, you're a delivery man, basically, you're you're delivering packages across post apocalyptic America. There's there's guys, there's people who will try to kill you and steal your packages, there's like crazy ghosts that try to attack you. It's it's it's it's pretty it's pretty crazy and uh I've definitely been enjoying it. Like I was I was looking forward to it just because I really like metal gear solid and I wanted to find out like what, what are you going to do next? And also what the hell are all these celebrities gonna be up to you and so far I've really been enjoying that.


Nice. That sounds good. Is it what system do you play on the Xbox? Er


It's it's right now, it's a Playstation four exclusive. It's coming to Pc at some point this year I think.


Yes, yeah, yeah. One day I'll get back into it. We'll see.


Yeah, I mean there's there's all sorts of games these days so.


Yeah. All right. Um Well, I think that we have surpassed the 25 minute mark um


that sounds


bounds. It was a pleasure speaking with you.


yeah. You too?


Yeah, I wonder I don't know how to end of this exactly, but I guess I can figure it out anyway. Uh Yeah. Best to walk with future stuff. I mean I hope the coding thing goes well, you know, good luck with that and gaming and maybe I'll be buying one of your games one day. We'll see.


Oh, cool. Yeah. Yeah. Good luck with the with the renovations and I hope you have a good time in the Dominican republic.


Yeah, man. Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. Have a good rest your day.


You too. Yeah.


Mhm. Let's see how to. Okay,


I think


good.


we just x out of the window


I hope. Yeah.


for the ab,


Yeah. All right, well, see you later on.


quite okay. Yeah. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Mhm. Yeah. All right. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm.


Hey,


Hi how are you?


not bad. How about yourself?


I'm good. So is this your first time doing this?


no, this is my fourth time, Yeah.


So I guess for me like I've been talking to like people in California or Iowa. So it's been interesting to see what their experiences are.


yeah, yeah, same California, new york, I'm not sure. Maybe just California union work, but maybe one other place, I can't remember, I think. Yeah. Anyway, I think, yeah, I think two people in new york and one person in California, so


mm. How was


I mean


your


those


experiences


are the two


with those conversations?


I liked. I've had good conversations so far. There was one lady who was really fun to talk to, we actually went quite a bit over time. We had a lot of common interests, so that was cool. Like talked about like eastern, europe and history and also a lot of tech stuff um existed men stuff and talked about coding and and stuff, you know, she's resources about learning stuff because I'm kind of just getting into learning like coding and I'm learning some unique stuff and some web development. Yeah,


Well I took a E. P. Campsite horse during my high school year so I was just getting introduced like C. And the real basics of just quoting in general. So I mean I don't know I guess quoting for me is like learning another language, like a foreign language. So I don't know it's a bit difficult to sort of get the hang of just um the layout and you know the interface of what um how things are just sort of um made out I guess. But I mean it's kind of interesting to see that c is basically like the stepping stone for most modern languages like javascript job and what not.


Right. Yeah, I'm doing python, which is also really common, like first coding language. Um So and it's also really one that's used in a lot of stuff. So when you learn first off um and it tends to be kind, it's a little easier, you know, for like a to learn. So I'm doing that one. And actually my my second alma mater, the university of michigan, they have, they have free as an alumnus, I have like free access to a bunch of online courses. So I recently found that out. So I'm using that resource, which is cool. So that that actually has like lectures and like some quizzes and pure reviewed assignments and stuff. So it's not just like sitting with your yourself with like a book and a computer, you know,

Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Okay. Oh, cool. Yeah. Mhm


Great.


like isolated, trying to because yeah, I'm doing some work from home, but mostly I'm just by myself because of the pandemic kind of thing. So I figured I'd take, you know, might as well learn something new. All right.


Make the best of your time I guess at home. But how is your quoting experience, I mean when did you first start off?


it's just been a couple of months really. Um I was in graduate school in the humanities and it didn't pan out for like just some mental health reasons. And then also it's like I didn't end up going back to the PhD program. I took the masters because it's like the field is really sparse. Like it's not super likely, especially you're not going to get a tenure track job. I know one guy who did out of like all the people I know, and then, you know, it's like, other than that, it's like your, what's your options? It's like add jumping or you get like a


huh.


fellowship. Why don't you go like get a one year position? You have to move from place to place. And it's just kind of like, you know, I see my friends and what they've I kind of had to do after finishing and it's like, yeah, not a lot of not going to go back into it anyway, so I've just been doing freelance and it's like, you know, get into a second career and figure something out. Say


Are


lovey.


the job opportunities including right now? I mean being


there.


that,


I mean that's that's one of the things about it, like a it's interesting, I like it and be there's always work, you know, like if you can build web pages or if you can code, you can, you know, work on programs or you can do various things, you know, it's like pretty much always get some work so


mm that's good.


or systems administration stuff if you actually learn enough to do that with like, eunuchs and Lennox and whatnot, which I've used Lennox for years on my computer, but I'm just I'm learning just recently more about really the guts of it and and sort of beyond


I see.


just you think


as my operating system, you know? So how about you? How are you doing, what have you been up to


Uh Oh, I've been there, I've been


quick?


busy making money on the side. I mean with the whole covid situation, I'm a coffee burst so I think cut for my hours. So I've been trying to like, you know, make money, I'm prolific and amazon mturk and whatever other sources of revenue, revenue I can, you know, find right.


same. Yeah. Um because uh Yeah, well the transcription I do, have you heard of rev


No. What is that?


you could actually probably do that rev dot com. It's transcription, like honestly the pay is pretty shit. Um But it's something to do. I mean I can it's work I can do from home if I get work, it's something um it's transcription so it's like basically just listen and you type out here. Yeah. Um So


Yeah.


you go you go on their site and then they just have like basically like a test thing that you get through and then you can just, you know, there's like accuse that you pick out jobs that you think, you know that the best ones you can get and then you do them and you get paid a certain amount per minute of transcription. So it's not like an hourly wage, it's a piece work, you know? But I find I don't make that much. I mean I get like 7 to $10 an hour maybe when I when I figure out in my head. But that's when I'm actually working. There is also the time of like finding the jobs, you know? And sometimes

Uh huh. Yeah. Okay. Right. Mhm, mm hmm, mm mm.


I


when


see you.


you work on it for a while and you're like yeah this is crap or like I can't do this well enough that might affect my metrics, you know? So which is, I mean at least that's above federal minimum but it's not close to Washington minimum which is 13 50. So I'd rather


you're located


be


in Washington


in Washington. Yeah. Yeah.


Oh,


How


I see. Uh


about you? Well,


a little away I


oh sweet. Well


guess.


I don't know


Well,


how


I mean,


is it?


I mean the covid cases recently have been like skyrocketing. I think two days daily cases was like 351 and that's


Damn.


only on the main island waffle. So I mean to consider, you know, hawaii as a state that's pretty, you know, plentiful for DV cases. I mean it's not as bad as, you know, like California and other parts of the country, but still, I mean, it's kind of just scary to see, you know, especially that we're in like an isolated area in the ocean. It's, you know, scary, you see, you know, the amount of cases just rising and skyrocketing. I was the case is over

Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Right. Yeah, for sure. Yes


there


is.


in Washington.


Well I'm in a rural county so it's been really so far pretty, you know um Pretty low. I mean really if you especially active cases like the total number when you look at it is like over 100 but then you go and look at it closely and it's like most of those are all recovered and then there's like like three deaths altogether in the county. Um So you know, you look at it and typically there might be like 3 to 5 active cases, but it's like they're little towns and basically if you kind of look at it statistically it looks basically they'll have like a little outbreak, so they'll have like five or 10 cases and, and everybody recovers, you know? Um So it's been pretty, you know, pretty decent. Like I don't feel totally safe, but it's like, it's a lot better. I feel a lot better than I would if I was living in like phoenix Arizona, you know what I mean? So if it does feel pretty relatively, you know, safe and especially me, I'm not even in a town, like I'm up on Mount, I'm on a mountain, you know, there's like there's like 250 people. So

Yeah. Oh yeah. Mhm Right. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Right. Mhm, Mhm, Mhm, Mhm. Right, right. Yeah, Yeah. Oh, okay.


Well, so you don't really have


week.


to worry too much, you're pretty somewhat isolated I guess?


Yeah. Yeah. Although I'm staying with my mom and she just went back to work today and she works in like a pear packing facility. So like putting all the pairs in the boxes and putting them up on the conveyor belt and your Iata. Um So because she was on unemployment during the summer, so she got the extra unemployment, she always gets laid off in the summer. Um But like she, you know since there is work she needs to go back to work, you can't just keep getting unemployment but she needs to get back on the health insurance anyway so but those are the kind of places that are a little bit more likely to get an outbreak just for various reasons like you have to be more close together and um and not to be like racist at all but it's a lot of hispanic people and they just because of their like kind of their circumstances they tend to live in like intergenerational households with lots of people so it's harder to do social distancing for them and stuff so. Yeah.

Um Mhm, Mhm, Mhm, Mhm, mhm Right, right, right. Mhm. Right, right, right, right. Yeah,


same as way, I mean, in our case it would be mainly pacific Islanders and filipino households where, you know, you have the multigenerational households and a lot of them come from, you know, working class households as well. So, you know, there are more at a risk because you know, a lot of them help in the service industry, so, you know, it's just, you know, concerning to witness, I guess. Yeah.


Yeah. Yeah, so and then Yakama County which is in Washington has had a lot of cases and it's also very agricultural county. Lots and lots of orchards specifically and lots of migrant workers tend to work in the orchards and basically


The enemy.


like they're given housing by the people they work for but it's just like shacks like they just give them like shacks to live in and who knows what even a sanitation they have right? And they're all just close together I'm sure. And so it's. Yeah. Right.


I see it. How's it


But


in the Seattle area?


Seattle is so King County Seattle early on was um really concerning. It was pretty bad because they have like it's on the west coast right? So it's like a pacific rim city and they have a major airport. Um So that was, it was like really peaking


What?


early on and that's when Washington state just like shut down like everything um


monsieur.


pretty early. So like all schools were shut down, you know, all non essential businesses. It was like stay at home orders like really early on. Um So that helped to kind of get Seattle to flatten the curve, you know? Um So I think Seattle is doing okay now. I mean relatively speaking, you know? Um It's not, it's definitely not like exploding or anything. So it's not like some of these places in the south west or the south where they just like open everything up, you know, and stuff just although, you know, Washington state is opening up in like phases. So which I think is so stupid because it's not, it's like why would you start opening up when things aren't even better? It's not like it's all better and we can just open up all the businesses and go back to normal, you know? But

Mhm. Mhm. Right. Mhm. Mhm, mm. All right, Right, mm hmm.


Yeah, that's true. I mean it's


I


like


don't


sort


know.


of a balance between like people losing their jobs and trying to,


because you can't just.


you know, keep safe and healthy. It's like where's the tipping point? I mean, where is like the balance between the two? Because you know, if you mean more towards the other than, you know, you have a risk of, you know, either having more cases becoming infected or you know, people more people


And


losing


also having


their jobs.


millions of people die would crash the economy too. So you know.


Yeah. So it's like, what do we do about this, I mean, you know.