Vladislav talks about his experiences during the pandemic in China and in Europe - It started in one day...

starting like like between friends. OK, so, uh, welcome. Uh, the first question is, what is your name and where do you come from? Uh, well, it's a bit like the name part is quite easy, but where I come from is quite complicated. Uh, my name is, uh, Vladislav, shortly of And, uh, I came, uh, like, let's say I was born in Russia

Then I lived the some part of my life in Europe. Then I moved to China and stayed there during the pandemic for two years. And, uh, after it, I came back to Europe, and, uh, currently I'm living in Poland

OK, great. Great. Nice to meet you

Nice to meet you. And, um well, what we are doing here in this interview, uh, just we are collecting some point of points of view about, uh, the pandemic and, uh, the impact of the pandemic on youth people. So we would like to know, how was the, um how the pandemic of coronavirus, uh, has changed your life? And, uh, has the pandemic changed your life or what is the what was the impact about activities? Your attitudes are your relationships or maybe about yourself

sure. Uh, well, that's more than one question, and I'll try to elaborate about, like, around it. Uh, firstly, as I mentioned before, during the pandemic, I was living in China and it started, uh, really like, uh, in in, let's say, in one day, basically, it started in one day

And, uh, uh, like, uh, we started to read the news about the the pandemic, like the starting of spreading of, uh, coronavirus and, uh, 23 days. And, uh and we basically were obligated to stay in our apartments. We were able to, uh, to leave the apartment just to do some necessary things

Such as, uh, like buying groceries or or like some some other important issues, like go to the hospitals and stuff like this. But in general, there was not Not like an obligation. But let's say a strong recommendation for everyone to stay in the in our apartments as much as it's possible

And, uh, do not go outside. And let's say in one week or in two weeks after it started, I had a situation where I went out, uh, outside on the street, right to have a walk and, uh like and I met the like, the police cars that that asked me, like, What am I doing here? Uh, like what? What, what? Where I'm going. And they highly recommended me to stay home because home is safe

And at home, I'm staying alone, and it's safe to not communicate with others. So I would say in China, it was really fast reaction, Uh, in terms of, like, two weeks, maybe three weeks, right after it started. There were already rules regulations

Also, in China, there is a very strong sense of community. So because, uh, like basically, it's not just one building. Usually you have a compartment you're living in compartment with some other buildings

And, uh, the sense of community helped a lot because, uh, all these compartments, they basically united. And they took shifts. And, uh, they made this on the entrance to the compartment

Usually it's like 1 to 3 entrance, and they blocked, uh, two like other two. And they left only one entrance. And there was, uh, like there were night shifts, day shifts, and people were checking there

They really fastly organised. Uh, the fact that, like we had this, uh, like paper that allowed us to come or to to go out. And if you and you, you you could apply for this paper and, uh, get this paper that, like you're living here, if you're not living in this compartment, you are not allowed to get in

So in these terms, I would say communication with friends was a bit difficult because you couldn't you couldn't like, bring your friends anywhere. I mean, all the places are closed, staying outside, it's it's winter. It's not that comfortable

So in these terms, I would say, uh, most of the people, including me we felt loneliness very much because, like the first, let's say, a month or two because, uh, you cannot bring your girlfriend to this apartment because she's, uh, she's not assigned, uh uh to this apartment. She's not living here, so she has no right to come in, and people are really checking it, even even for foreigners. I mean, uh, in China, our names and our everything is different, different, difficult

And it was really well checked and well organised, and in these terms, I would say only 22 or maybe three months later, our life came back to normal. So we were still obligated to wear masks. Uh, in, uh, public places, public transport, especially like hospitals, police stations, malls and everything

We were obligated to wear masks, but, uh, like everything was, uh, more or less functioning already. We could go to a mall, and, uh, we could eat some food. Uh, but just on a social distance

Right. And, uh, it happened only three months later. So if the pandemic started in, uh, February, I think like January the end of January, beginning of February, then, uh, I would say in April or May we were already, like, living our more or less normal lives there in China, right? Yes

So you were talking about some kind of isolation? Yes. Also, from your Yeah. Yeah, definitely

Like there was a part with isolation when, like during these lockdowns, right? You definitely feel this, that you're alone like I mean, I personally felt sort of come in depression because you don't know what to do with your life. You are not sure what will happen after you. You feel insecure and you feel like you feel isolated from others

Usually. And the only support you can get is just by zoom calls or phone calls, and it's definitely not the same, right? As a real real meeting. Talking to real, like to a real person in real, this kind of stuff

Yeah, definitely. It happens. And I think, uh, here in Europe

Well, like when I when I get when I got back, I saw these waves are still coming, and there are still lockdowns still, uh, still like this kind of stuff happening, and I feel like I know what What? What, uh, everyone is feeling right now exactly like right right now, me when I'm obligated to stay at home or when I was quarantined. Uh, when I just got to to Europe for two weeks, I had to stay under quarantine, uh, alone in the apartment. I mean, it is difficult

It is challenging on the other side, I think there are. There are some opportunities for you. I mean, uh, if you over, like, first of all, you learn how to stay with yourself, not just, uh, like, always be social

You learn how to become, uh, like a self aware person. Let's say this way. You know about yourself, how social you are

I mean, some people, they, they, they they tolerated this much easier than others. I know for myself, I'm a very social person. And for me, it was really difficult to be alone

That's why, like most of my time, uh, 14 days I was on the phone. I was I was talking to everyone with everyone just because I am a social person. But I became aware about it because because before, I didn't know this, uh, before I thought, like, I'm completely OK with being alone and, uh, after it

Apparently, I'm not. This is an important insight. So something has changed? Yes

So how how is your life right now? After or during the pandemic? Still during the pandemic? Um, how does it change after this experience that you have in China and then coming back? Uh, there are some aspects that has changed in your life. Well, yeah, obviously, like the first thing I I mean, my my profession 1st. 1st, I have, like, some some master degrees or one of my master degree, And the first one was, uh, uh, engineering in microelectronics and other technology

And, uh, I found it. Absolutely not useful during the pandemic. And I thought, like if it's gonna be, uh, digital from now on, then I have to find, uh, for digital solutions and, uh, just, like, get more like, get more studying

Because I I thought for myself at the moment that people now have lots of free time at home, and, uh, the smartest ones are studying and learning, So I have to pursue the same way. So I apply for another master's, and, uh, I'm like finishing another masters. And, uh, it's in digital, like in digital way

It's, uh, data science, because it can be. It can be proceed and can be done this, like on a distance. It's not necessary to meet the people and talk because, like everything can be done just from your laptop

It's one of the ways and second of the ways I would say it became an issue that I'm constantly thinking of. It's, uh, like this transition in digital era, like how to make this trans transition, uh, easier. And how to make our life better in this, uh, like, digital new era, we can call it this way

I mean, I personally feel that life will not get back to normal ever again. We will, We will. Still part of our lives will be digital will be done in zoom

And I appreciate the opportunity that we can now on the distance because I'm like I'm living in Poland. Poland. I'm working for a for a Warsaw company and they're completely OK for me staying in Poland

So you change your way of working as well? Yeah, definitely. And also the way that you plan your life plan, your career and job opportunities. Yeah, exactly

I mean, in job opportunities, it's the biggest change, the biggest shift. Because now I'm I'm thinking like, uh, I I can easily work for, uh, USA company or Canadian company and, like, let's say, earn their salary. The average salary is there and, uh, stay in in Poland

And in these terms, it's, uh, an amazing idea if you think about it, because the prices in states and prices in Poland are completely different. And, uh, I mean, this is a good impact. There are bad impacts as well, of course, on your personal life or your on your professional life

How do you feel with with that? I mean, do you have some some bad impact? Well, yeah, definitely, definitely. I would say, uh, with, uh, relationships. It became like it became difficult to proceed like long term relationships

Right? Uh, we I I'm not talking about, like only let's say like, um in general, like with with your family, with your friends with your lovers, Uh, the like strong and long term relationships became much harder to implement, Uh, in my case because, uh, like, uh, especially especially if you're living in different countries. Like like it is in my case, because we are always online. We are always online

And, uh, there are, like, the opportunities to for me to come somewhere is, uh, like, very minimal because there are lack of flights and some countries are closed, for example, like China now is closed. I cannot come to my friends and visit them for a week because it's completely closed, the same as Canada. I have part of my family living in Canada

I cannot go there anymore because they are closed and Europe like I had to do lots of things to come to to Europe, to Poland, exactly from Russia. And I had to stay for 14 days. Quarantine there alone, and it's a challenge

So let's change our way of travelling as well and stay Definitely definitely. I mean, before the pandemic, I was travelling a lot around the globe. I've visited like more than 30 countries, but not anymore

Now it's, uh I'm trying to stay the same way and trying to to still, uh, visit like in a safe way, travel in a safe way. But it's, uh, it's harder. It's much harder

And, uh, and other people, let's say this, like terms like couch surfing and, uh uh, like Erasmus projects and everything. Uh, there were many of them and there were lots of opportunities before it started. You could go to another country and for cheap money, stay somewhere in a hostel somewhere in a Airbnb or somewhere just as a couch surfing, uh, to to learn other culture

Not anymore. Now people are afraid, and I personally wouldn't wouldn't really go to a hostel or couch surfing because, let's say like, uh, I'm not alone, right? Uh, I have to take care of, like have to take care about others and think of others, even though, like I'm vaccinated and PC R s and everything still think it's not, uh, like, the It's not the only solution. We have to think about others

Yeah. So you are also suggesting me that you change your lifestyle of, of travelling, of leaving the place, leaving the people, And in this case, yeah, it it it did affect it. I mean, it's not that that, uh, uh, it's not that much that I stopped doing this

I am still doing this, but much more seldom. And, uh, in a very let's say, a conscious way, like a safe way that you think how to make it less, uh, like, how to make yourself less vulnerable to things that might happen. Um, so in this kind of case, yeah, great

It was. It was nice to, um, understand your your, uh, your personal point of view about, uh, the pandemic and the impact. And do you want to add something more to I don't know

I'm a person. As I said, I'm a social person. I like to answer the questions

OK, Do you want to add something from your perspective? Something that, um, that's arriving with you right now that you want to share? Well, uh, I think, uh, as pandemic already happened, and our life will not be the same. So we have to adapt. And in order to adapt, we have to learn, uh, how to live

Like how to live our life a little bit differently from the way we lived before. It doesn't mean that we have to give up our values and our objectives. We just have to find new solutions

It's also I'm trying to think about anything that happens in our life, gives us new opportunities and, uh and yeah, like in this kind of stuff, I'm trying to stay optimistic. And I wish others to stay optimistic as well and find new solutions, new opportunities and new goals in our life and just just do this. That's it

OK, so thank you very much. Sure.

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