Diary of a Pandemic: How do Charlotteans feel as stay-at-home orders are relaxed?
Have we ever in our lives seen more virtual living rooms of our friends, family and colleagues as we have in the past few weeks?
As we continue to stay at home to avoid community spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, we started wondering what life was like for others in the Charlotte community.
Our sister paper, The Charlotte Observer, asked a few people to record video diaries so we can see how everyone else is faring.
Here’s what life looks like in 2020, from the flip side of the screen:
Week of May 11, 2020
This is the last of the video diary series:
(1) Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos Mexican Grill owners
Some people may feel relief and others may feel anxiety about the phases of relaxing the stay-at-home order, Miriam Espaillat said. “Being kind, being mindful, if people are a little edgy, not taking it personal. Just understanding that we are all processing and learning.”
(2) Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters owners
For their last video diary, Lauren Schelfhaudt and Jean Paul of Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters put all the dance moves together. “Good dancing today ... that’s a wrap.”
(3) Queens University of Charlotte graduate Brianna Paglia
Brianna Paglia said New York and North Carolina will experience reopening differently. “But I’m just kinda nervous overall, both North Carolina and New York, about opening all of the businesses, opening different things.”
(4) UNC Charlotte student Michael Barnhardt
Michael Barnhardt said “While it’s very important to for people to be able to go back to their jobs and have some type of resemblance of normalcy, I’m still worried about the spread of the virus, obviously.”
(5) Charlotte Country Day School instructor Faith Anthony-Mejia
Faith Anthony Mejia talks about her fears and optimism about reopening. “I trust enough people to understand that there will still be boundaries kept, but there are also a large amount of people that I don’t trust who will take advantage of the reopening of certain businesses just to go out in full force.”
(6) Goodyear House chef Chris Coleman
Feelings regarding Phase 1 of the relaxing of the state’s stay-at-home order. “It’s a ball of emotions. I’m excited that we’re able to get back to it ... I’m nervous that people are going to rush out and cause another spike. I am concerned, once we are able to open, what that’s going to look like. Not just for Goodyear House, but for all independent restaurants, restaurants without a drive-thru.”
(7) Charlotte retiree shares his observations of living, working under the coronavirus pandemic
Charlotte retiree, John Simmons said prevention is very important for protection against the coronavirus. “Yesterday, I was at the market in the checkout line and the cashier had to ask two persons behind me to step back and consider the social distance in line. One of the persons had on a mask only covering their mouth, not their nose.”
Week of April 27, 2020/May 4, 2020:
(1) Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos Mexican Grill owners
Miriam Espaillat of Sabor Latin Street Grill shows us how to cook Salvadorian pupusas.
(2) Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters owners
Lauren Schelfhaudt and Jean Paul of Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters talk about virtual hangouts and how you can offset all the sitting with some dance moves.
(3) UNC Charlotte student Michael Barnhardt
Michael Barnhardt celebrates a birthday during coronavirus.
(4) Motivational speaker Nikki Eason
Forget what happened yesterday, Nikki Eason said. “Today is a new day.”
(5) Charlotte Country Day School instructor Faith Anthony-Mejia
“There are certainly family members that I worry about,” Faith Anthony-Mejia said.
(6) Goodyear House chef Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman gets a home haircut and figures out next steps for the restaurant.
(7) Charlotte retiree shares his observations of living, working under the coronavirus pandemic
Charlotte retiree John L. Simmons II works at the airport at a rental car agency, and he said it’s difficult to see layoffs of his colleagues.
Week of April 20, 2020:
(1) Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos Mexican Grill owners
Dalton Espaillat cooks Dominican Quipe and tells us a little bit about its history.
(2) Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters owners
Lauren Schelfhaudt and Jean Paul teach us another dance step. “Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters back in the house,” Paul said. “We’ve been in the house,” Schelfhaudt said.
(3) Queens University of Charlotte graduate Brianna Paglia
Brianna Paglia shows off Times Square during what would typically be considered rush hour. “Usually, you can’t pay me to come to Times Square at this point, especially during rush hour, but there is literally nobody here.”
(4) UNC Charlotte student Michael Barnhardt
Michael Barnhardt emerges from quarantine and moves into a new place. “I see a lot of people wearing masks, which is fantastic,” he said. “It just seems normal but of course everybody is experiencing hard times in the moment.”
(5) Motivational speaker Nikki Eason
If you’re feeling like you’re not good enough, Nikki Eason is here to tell you that you are enough. “There is a calling on your life, when is the last time you answered the phone?” Don’t let self-doubt control you, she says.
(6) Charlotte Country Day School instructor Faith Anthony-Mejia
“What do I miss the most in quarantine? Definitely has to be hugs,” she said. Faith Anthony-Mejia celebrated a birthday recently and she had a socially-distanced meetup with her parents. This week, she’s finding ways to focus on the good.
(7) Charlotte retiree shares his observations of living, working under the coronavirus pandemic
John Simmons has found new ways to spend time with friends in this new strange time. “We decided to have a Zoom cocktail hour, which was a lot of fun.”
Week of April 13, 2020:
(1) Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos Mexican Grill owners
Miriam Espaillat, co-owner of Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos Mexican Grill, shares her childhood experiences growing up in El Salvador and how that has affected her experiences now. “When I was in El Salvador living through the war, there were curfews that were imposed just for our safety,” she said. “Living during this time is actually reminding me of that.”
(2) Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters owners
Lauren Schelfhaudt and Jean Paul of Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters offer a salsa lesson in nature. Surrounded by trees and a pond and their dogs, they teach us step number 2, side break. It’s so easy, you don’t even have to put your coffee down to learn it, they assure us. If you need a refresher on step one, scroll down to revisit that video first.
(3) Queens University of Charlotte graduate Brianna Paglia
Queens University of Charlotte graduate Brianna Paglia continues to navigate the streets of New York City, which remain quiet for the most part. “Right now, New York is still on pause, and you really, obviously, are not supposed to go out unless you are going grocery shopping, going for a walk, solitary exercise.” She talks about not seeing family, postponing adopting a cat and apartment shopping during the pandemic.
(4) UNC Charlotte student Michael Barnhardt
Since his return flight from Japan, Michael Barnhardt has continued his social isolation. He’s been interacting with people via Facebook “I just hope everybody takes just takes this all very seriously and does a good job of doing their part in flattening that curve, basically just social distancing and making sure that we get through all of this together,” he said.
(5) Motivational speaker Nikki Eason
“Understand that what’s happening to you is happening for you,” Nikki Eason said. “Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path.”
(6) Charlotte Country Day School instructor Faith Anthony-Mejia
Introducing Charlotte native Faith Anthony-Mejia, a Freshman Seminar Instructor at Charlotte Country Day School and a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Latin American studies at UNCC. Her mornings are spent making lesson plans for students and completing her graduate school work.
“It’s been a strange balance of trying to figure out how to be productive throughout my day but not put too much pressure on myself,” she said. “It’s also been a huge eye-opener in terms of the privilege that I have.”
(7) Goodyear House chef Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman, chef and partner of The Goodyear House, talks about closing his restaurant due to stay-at-home regulations. The Goodyear House shut down on March 22, ceasing takeout orders. “It just seemed like a human way to take care of our staff. Honestly, times are tough. Finances are tough. We just thought it would be easier for them to use the benefits of unemployment than to struggle and try and stay open for delivery and takeout,” he said.
His forced staycation includes time with his children at “Camp Coleman”.
Week of April 6, 2020:
(1) Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos Mexican Grill owners
Miriam and Dalton Espaillat of Raydal Hospitality, the ownership group behind Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos Mexican Grill, are hanging out in the kitchen during the stay-at-home order. What, you’re surprised? Watch Dalton taste test an empanada made from a yucca root. It’s naturally gluten free, but don’t expect it to show up on the restaurants’ menus right away. “Unfortunately, we cannot sell these at Sabor; they take forever to cook and some skills that I am still learning,” he said. “But once I master it, we may have something like that on the menu.”
(2) Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters owners
Lauren Schelfhaudt and Jean Paul of Dancing Ox Coffee Roasters are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic by drinking coffee and dancing. “Two things we love in life: we love dancing (we are former ballroom dancers) and we love coffee (we are coffee roasters). Coffee: we’ve been drinking a little bit too much of it lately — but dancing we haven’t been doing enough of.”
Watch as they teach you how to salsa in less than a minute:
(3) Queens University of Charlotte graduate Brianna Paglia
Queens University of Charlotte graduate Brianna Paglia is now living in New York City. During the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of her time is spent on Zoom and catching up on her favorite TV shows. “I used to wake up early, go to the gym, go to work, go to class. And now I wake up and make myself coffee, actually eat some breakfast and then I get my computer out and I’ll watch and episode or two of a new show I’m watching,” Paglia said. “I watch a lot of TV shows now in my free time.”
(4) UNC Charlotte student Michael Barnhardt
Michael Barnhardt was sent home from Japan while studying abroad when the coronavirus pandemic began escalating. He’s spending his time isolating away from other people, playing the new Animal Crossing game on Nintendo Switch and watching a lot of Netflix. “To say that all of this has been jarring is a bit of an understatement,” he said. “Back in Japan, everything seemed rather under control and a lot more safe, for the most part.”
(5) Motivational speaker Nikki Eason
Motivational speaker Nikki Eason’s advice will help you face your fears during this unprecedented moment in time. “Don’t try to live without the fear, accept it. Accept it and know that this is part of the blessing that you need to get to the thing that you’ve been guessing,” Eason said.
What to read next: We’ve been keeping up with Haberdish, Growler’s Pourhouse, Crepe Cellar, Reigning Doughnuts and Supperland co-owner Jamie Brown daily with her written thoughts about life during the pandemic. Check in with her daily to see the ups and downs of navigating this new normal.
After that, check out what our neighbors in Raleigh are finding to be their new normal, with the News and Observer’s collection of video diaries.
This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 11:42 AM.
