Home is a powerful place for all of us, and its presence feels particularly acute right now.

But how do
quarantine and isolation affect our perception of the space? Homebound

We still tried to go about as normally as we could, even as schools—then restaurants and non-essential
shops—were forced to close, parks and gardens were shuttered, and citizens were asked to avoid even
going for walks.

Homebound: Our Life in Italy Is Forever Changed, but We’re Not Losing Hope

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Homebound: Our Life in Italy Is Forever Changed, but We’re Not Losing Hope
Emiko Davies, Florence–based cookbook author, writes on how she's using optimism to cope with this
new reality.

by: EMIKO

March 21, 2020

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Home is a powerful place for all of us, and its presence feels particularly acute right now. But how do
quarantine and isolation affect our perception of the space? Homebound: Dispatches on COVID-19 &
How We Live asks this of three writers currently negotiating this reality in different parts of the world—
Hong Kong, Seattle, and Florence. We hope their explorations can help us better understand our
changing sense of home.

We live in Settignano, a sleepy neighborhood overlooking Florence, fringed by woods and olive groves—
the kind of place where everyone knows each other. There's something comforting and safe about being
here. Maybe it's the fact the place itself is easy on the eyes, that the community is small and tight-knit,
or that it's not the first time that this has been the preferred setting for avoiding a pandemic:
Boccaccio's Decameron is set right here in Settignano, in a villa where a group of friends have fled
Florence and tell each other stories to pass the time, while the Plague ravages the continent in the 14th
century.

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We have been on national lockdown since Mar. 8, but things have already been different since late
February, when provinces in Lombardy and the Veneto went into strict quarantine. We watched the
knock-on effect of the spread of COVID-19 here in Tuscany, as tourists canceled trips, travel was banned,
hotels emptied, and study abroad students packed up and left. It was a tumbling, cascading sort of effect
on life in Florence, one that revolves around tourism. We still tried to go about as normally as we could,
even as schools—then restaurants and non-essential shops—were forced to close, parks and gardens
were shuttered, and citizens were asked to avoid even going for walks.

Once the lockdown was declared, the whole region seemed to suddenly wake up. People kept their
distance, refused kiss-on-the-cheek greetings, formed orderly queues (at the store, at the bus stop, at
the post office—everywhere), openly called out others who weren't following the rules. But, there was
also plenty of encouraging—a message of solidarity and community, that “together we can do this”
(which is, in fact, the only way).

In a home that we have long outgrown, I thought lockdown would feel restricting. But it turns out bored
children always find something to do—and so do we. With nowhere to be, nowhere to rush to, we can
take our time doing things that would normally be ignored due to our day-to-day responsibilities—
school pick-ups, work, deadlines, running after children.

Life at home in quarantine, for us, has fundamentally changed little—except perhaps it’s made us closer
and more grateful.

Every day seems to bring new uncertainty in this crisis, and that can be hard to come to grips with for
kids (and their parents). But as we walk through this as a nation, as a world, and especially as a family,
we can see God’s hand in all of it. May he lead us to the throne of his grace, and may we cast ourselves
on his mercy and love in these uneasy days.

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OPINION
If nothing else, staying home in a self-imposed quarantine ought to help you appreciate life

Make good use of the time. Here are some smart ideas about what to do if you’re stuck in the house.

Being quarantined at home to beat a spreading virus is an opportunity to do life-affirming tasks,

Watchdog columnist Dave Lieber says.

Being quarantined at home to beat a spreading virus is an opportunity to do life-affirming tasks,

Watchdog columnist Dave Lieber says.(WYTRAZEK / Getty Images/iStockphoto)

By Dave Lieber

1:22 AM on Mar 14, 2020 — Updated at 6:54 AM on Mar 18, 2020

Let’s be blunt. We’re supposed to stay isolated, if we can, so we don’t die. Gets you thinking, doesn’t it?

No, not about how much toilet paper you’ve socked away. It gets you thinking about what’s truly
important.

For me, it’s love. Love of life. Love of family. Love of work and play. Love that I get to write this letter to
you, and you’re reading it.

Consider being productive in a new way: nurturing our relationship with ourselves, our loved ones and
our community. Or finish up a fun project that you had to put on hold

The coronavirus hit us by surprise, and consumed us within months. Nobody predicted that it would kill
so many people, force countries to lockdown, shut schools and public places and put our life on hold. It
hit us and now it's everywhere. It made the whole world bleed, and spreading like wildfire.

Filipinos help one another

More popularly known as bayanihan, Filipinos help one another—without expecting anything in return
—so that undertaking their tasks and responsibilities become much easier. Sometimes this is called
“community spirit.”

Filipinos are very resilient

In times of calamities and catastrophes, Filipinos always manage to rise above the challenge. Instead of
wallowing, they manage to pick themselves up and smile.

We love helping each other out

The culture of bayanihan extends to strangers, so can you imagine how strongly Filipinos would feel
about helping their own kin?

Filipinos willingly help their loved ones and don’t expect anything in return. These acts of kindness can
be as simple as ate tutoring bunso, to sponsoring your not-as-well-off pamangkin’s education.

Thousands of Filipinos have also sacrificed their comfort by working abroad. These OFWs are all alone in
foreign countries — but the thought of giving their families better lives bolsters their determination.

In a Filipino family, our parents usually cook for us, that’s what one of the ways on how they show their
love. Also, through good and bad times, Filipinos always find a way to smile and be happy. Whatever the
problem is, we are always reminded that our family’s always there to love and support us no matter
what

Having Close Family Ties is also one of their unique traits. It is one of the outstanding cultural values that
Filipinos have. The family takes care of each other and are taught to be loyal to family and elders by
simply obeying their authorities. This is one of the unique characteristics of Filipinos. Having fondness
for family reunions during secular and religious holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s eve, All Saints’
Day, Holy Week, Fiestas, homecomings, birthdays, weddings, graduations, baptisms, funerals etc. is
evidence that Filipino people valued not only our cultural tradition but the spirit of our family. As
Filipinos, we are blessed to have been brought up with strong family ties.