coronavirus – ⋆ Second Gen Desi ⋆

Pree August 28, 2020 Orange County, CA

A Month with Wag!

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Written April 9, 2020

This post was not sponsored by Wag! All opinions are my own.

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My move to Italy has been significantly delayed—first due to ironing out contract details and more recently, the coronavirus outbreak. Back in February, I was growing restless. I was dying to get started on preparing for my move and for the next chapter of my LIFE…what could I do in the meantime that would calm my mind down while also being fun?

Then it hit me—I was spending all my weekend mornings at the animal shelter, and honestly, the rest of those days would be spent at home napping/binge-watching Netflix…I could use that time to hang out with more dogs since A) I didn’t/couldn’t have one at my own at the time 😑, B) it’s hard NOT to be happy around a dog 😊, and C) I just love ’em so, so much 😚.

I previously knew about Wag! a dog walking/sitting/boarding app that connected pet owners with pet caregivers for services such as dog walks. I’m not sure why I didn’t think to sign up earlier, but why not give it a go now?

The process to sign up was pretty straightforward: fill out an online application, provide references that could attest to your animal handling abilities, and a background check ($25 fee required, urgh). Once all of those were checked off however, I was free to download the pet caregiver version of the app.

I was able to see walks up to 20 miles away from “Home”, my “Current” location, and “Custom” locations:

Front page of the pet caregiver version of Wag! app

Depending on what services pop up at the time you check, you can click to see what the service entails before requesting. Details that include the dog breed, pay-out, walk time, duration, and distance the dog is away from your marked location are all included:

As you rack up walks, pet owners can leave you reviews and vice versa, much like other service apps. You can also view your pay-outs (and tips). Payments are calculated on a weekly basis:

But for me, it wasn’t about the money.

Over the course of 3 weeks, I found my stride and I was able to fit in walks on weekdays as well as the weekends. I found myself in the company of all sorts of dogs in a variety of shapes, sizes, personalities, and needs:

Some of the cutie pies I walked in March!

(Top Left) – This guy was my first pup! He was a shy pit bull mix I believe, and the owner had requested a long walk within a 60 min timeframe. I would have definitely ran the whole time with this babe if he was up for it, but he was a homebody and kept dragging me to the front of his house! Needless to say, I was pretty glad when the walk was over 😅. I promptly went to the animal shelter I volunteered at at the time right after!

(Top Center) – She was a gorgeous gal, and she was waiting outside for me in the front of her hoomans’ expansive, bougie Yorba Linda house-in-the-hills 🤩. I am a lover of huskies and man, 20 minutes with her wasn’t enough!! I wish the owner had requested a 60 min walk…needless to say, I never saw her again after this walk 😪…

(Top Right) – This little guy had a bowtie (!!) and was part of a dog pair of an owner who requested a 20 min drop-in visit. So no walk, just cuddle and play time! This little guy and his buddy were interested in me for maybe…5 min 😅? Soon after, they left me for the other room and never looked back!

(Middle Left) – My first time walking a mop—ehrm, a Brussels Griffon! It was hard getting into this apartment since it was located in DTLA—I had to pick up a key from a leasing office a block away, ask the doorman to key me up to the 12th floor, and it took me a while to find the actual apartment once I got up. But when I did find it, I was greeted by the most petite and hairy cutie! We had a relaxed stroll on DTLA streets in the rain, and it was one of my most “soothing” dog walks!

(Middle Center) – I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for bullys! For some reason, I told everyone when I was in the second grade that my favorite dog breed was the bulldog 🤷🏽‍♀️. Don’t ask me why now, but it was! This little guy was a shy boy, and even though our walk was supposed to be 30 min, we had to walk back to his apartment half-way through the walk (more like, pull him back) so I could grab some treats and coax him with that! But boy, was he soft and cuddly! 😍

(Middle Right) – This Australian Shepard was the sweetest senior! He was a big boy, and the owner was like, make him get a workout! Gladly.

He lived near Seal Beach in a nice neighborhood, so the 30 min walk/jog was accompanied with some gorgeous views:

This was the backyard of this particular dog, practically!

If I have to walk a dog and they live in a gorgeous neighborhood or near a gigantic park, that makes me even more excited! It guarantees a good time to be had by all 😁.

(Bottom Left) – Okay, hands down this handsome boy is the most well-behaved husky I’ve ever met. I’ll even go a step further and say he is the most obedient dog I’ve ever met! He lived in a high-rise in the heart of DTLA. I literally ran, took him for a walk, and ran back to work since the timing of the walk fit my lunch break! The streets were crowded when I took him out so we weren’t able to really get his legs moving with a fast run, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was loving the fresh air (yes, surprisingly it was not so smoggy in LA that day!) and I was loving the furry company 🥰.

(Bottom Middle) – This feisty boy is of my favorite dog breed (Australian Cattle Dog) but he was transfixed on biting my arm so I had to be stern with him so that he didn’t break skin 😳. Nevertheless, he had a fun time rolling in the grass, even though our walk was restricted to around the apartment complex.

(Bottom Right) – This baby girl had an odd name, but she was one of the sweetest, shyest pups yet. We went for a nighttime walk after I spent 10 minutes coaxing her with treats. She was also a barker, and scared a runner during our walk 🤣. Despite the walk being scheduled later in the night than I usually go out, I ran into the owners as I was leaving and got the feeling that they were some pretty nice people. The generous tip and comment they left proved it 😉.

Some of my favorite adventures included stumbling upon Newport Upper Bay with a gorgeous bully pal. Her owner lived in Costa Mesa, and since I had 60 min with her, we had a grand time “getting lost” and accidentally finding a hiking trail!

Evidence to suggest that I need a dog in my life to go on amazing outdoor adventures with!

Not all of my favorites were as eager as this bully beauty. I was excited to walk a pug in Anaheim when I booked a walk for a chubby loaf, but when I came to his apartment, he was far from excited:

He was clearly tired of life, and his mood reflected the times (1st week of coronavirus stay-at-home order in Cali!).

Still, we made it out for a short walk, if you want to call it that. His eyes looked glossy and since he was a senior pup (11 years!), I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had succumbed to cataracts…😞. I made sure to shower him with lots of love and cuddles 🥰!

Then there was the time I walked the most stubborn (but adorable) CORGI PUPPY PRINCESS 😘!

I think my juvenile outburst is justified with this precious face!

I was hoping we could go to an arboretum that was nearby, but no, she was perfectly fine searching through the bushes that surrounded her apartment 😛.

So much for a 30 min walk!

The end of March was pretty somber. I was surprised that I was able to rack up so many dog walks within a span of a few weeks (thanks to having free weekends during which I had time to run, eat, and hang out with fur babies!), but due to the coronavirus outbreak, things got shaky—for all of us no doubt!

Since I was living in a rented space in someone’s house at the time—and they turned out to be a source of anxiety and verbal abuse—it was best for me to stay with family for the time being since I also had the ability to work remotely.

I also noticed a major drop in available walks as the end of the month neared, probably because most people that used the app were working remotely, and had time to take their dogs out now. Or perhaps they were worried about the contagious properties of the virus. Who knows, but there was a significant drop in available walks, regardless of the location.

As disappointing as it was, I was also a bit relieved. I love being around dogs, but I was also getting burnt out. I was more than ready to spend some quality time resting and working remotely with family, and not putting unnecessary “pressure” on myself to check on walks that would pop up throughout the weekend.

My last walk in the OC however, was a splendid one.

I had an amazing morning with this smart sheepdog

This dog was actually visiting from NorCal and staying in Anaheim Canyon for a few days. His owner handed me a backpack with his favorite tennis ball 🎾 and frisbee, as well as some treats, and suggested we have a fun time at a nearby park!

I was pleasantly surprised this baby boy could walk off leash, and it was a blast being able to play fetch with him. We played and ran, and despite my low mood that morning, he really helped perk me up.

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Since that walk, I’ve only had one walk in Oklahoma, where I have been staying with family while working remotely since the beginning of stay-at-home orders due to the virus.

Like I mentioned earlier, there has been a significant drop in available walks since the virus outbreak. For me, signing up for Wag! was never for the money, but for the chance to hang out with dogs since I don’t have any of my own (currently). It’s definitely not a lucrative “job”, so I advise that it’s something you consider doing only if you love being around dogs in your free time.

Have you heard about Wag! ?

Pree August 7, 2020 Tulsa, Oklahoma

Life, in the time of Corona…

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Written: June 2020

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The COVID-19 pandemic is something everyone living on this earth currently will have a story for. Shared frustrations, sadness, lessons learned, and renewal are only a few things we will be seeing documented in copious books, documentaries, social media captions, TV shows, movies, and blog posts (like this one) to come.

For me, corona initiated a transition for the world that was in line with my life’s transition. Of course, corona has significantly delayed my sojourn to Italy, but it also brought with it an opportunity to work remotely without the usual stressors, and to spend an indefinite amount of time with family. Things that I am especially grateful for.

Despite the impending doom, I took solace in the rising sun above Fullerton train station’s parking lot in the few weeks before obliging to work-at-home orders. Despite feeling weary at that time, I found a renewed sense of energy from the SoCal sun.

In the weeks leading up to stay-at-home orders and lockdowns, I already felt uneasy—in my living space at the time, the uncertainties of my work visa for Italy, and the emotional ennui of my life in general. Here I was, eager to start anew in a foreign land, ready to make friends and forge new relationships while advancing my career, when the one thing that gets in my way opposes all of that.

My last weekend in SoCal for an indefinite amount of time, and my heart was hurting. For about one hour that Sunday weekend, I was able to forget about it all and allow the beauty of Upper Newport Bay seep into my soul…

Given my life circumstances at the time, I got the okay from by boss to work remotely since my current lab work conveniently allowed for it. And knowing the tribulations of my living situation, my Dad was eager to have me stay with him for a while, and I was more than happy with that—even if it meant taking a hiatus from Cali things and joining him in Oklahoma.

Los Angeles looked so forlorn anyways…

DTLA on a Wednesday morning. Unbelievable…

I spent the first week of LA county’s stay-at-home order moving things out from my residence at the time and wrapping up as much things as I could in-person in the lab. In late March, I arrived in Tulsa, on a lucky flight that hadn’t been cancelled…

I felt so relieved to be in a place where I was free to be myself and feel safe and comfortable for the first time in a long time. However, it took me a while to really get used to the whole idea that everything would be shut down/restricted. It got to the point where even tennis courts were chained up, which came as a disappointment to my Dad and I.

At least the outdoors weren’t “cancelled”.

In the earlier weeks of corona, my Dad and I spent a good amount of time getting “lost” on hikes on local trails, like Turkey Mountain.

Turkey Mountain is a whole ‘nother world on the outskirts of Tulsa. It’s a protected local wildlife/trail area, and even though we made our hikes at high noon, the trails had a fair share of bikers, dog walkers, and runners—conscious of abiding to the 6 feet apart ideal.

Fortunately, I was able to make a lot of time for running during this time, but of course, not without nagging Achilles’ tendon pain, plantar fascitis, and other aches/pains. But because this was a rare opportunity of having “extra” time to devote to fitness, I wanted to make sure running was a priority again.

Speaking of running, this was the first time in all of my Tulsa visits that I managed to run consistently in other places besides Riverside (another local trail that is popular). I found my favorite running route to be very close to (my parents’) home.

A) Because there is something about long, distant roads that makes a runner’s heart swoon,

and B) the animals one runs into are A-DOR-A-BULL (get it? 😅)

I’ve stopped for more dogs, cows, cats, goats, rabbits, caterpillars, butterflies, and spiders mid-run than ever before 😂.

When you think of Oklahoma, hills and mountains don’t really come to mind, but the La Fortune Park area in Tulsa is full of them. The park itself is hilly, so it can serve as the setting for some awesome hill repeats.

La Fortune Park (my favorite side of the park lol)

The park is right next to St. Francis Hospital, on Yale which is literally a giant hill. I like running up Yale, and crossing the street onto a huge green lawn. If you make it to the top, you’re in for some nice views of the city.

Staying with family also meant constant access to home-cooked meals. So grateful for a Dad who enjoys cooking, as much as he loves sharing morning coffee, mid-morning PB&Js and more coffee, and tea and mini samosas before heading out for evening tennis games or walks.

Felt like I was home from college for the 3 months I was staying-at-home with family.

As time progressed during the stay-at-home orders, I wasn’t sure how things would ultimately be for me eventually…yes, I had plans for Italy, but I had my days where I doubted if that was going to even happen. April was just a chaotically somber month on a global scale…

All that running in April also led to a bad Achilles tendon injury in my left foot, which made me turn to a local podiatrist for laser therapy. It was an annoying 6 weeks of having to deal with nagging pain on runs, and limiting mileage in general.

Though that didn’t stop me from having fun on the runs I did go on that month.

On a path to Veteran’s Park in Jenks, OK

Despite the nagging pain, the doc said it was OK to continue running if I watched my mileage and pace. I took this as an OK to continue on with my exploratory nature, running a reasonable distance to local parks and back.

“Jumping for joy” at the beginning of a “new-to-me” trail.

Veteran’s Park ended up being one of my favorites since I ended up befriending two ducks and a geese family—momma, poppa, and a fuzzy babe!

As weeks wore on, I got used to the lifestyle I was living, the routine I had, and the flexibility of my schedule. So much so, that when I finally got confirmation about being able to plan for Italy again, I started to feel a tinge of heart-brokenness. Life was picking up again, but it was going to break my heart to leave my Dad after such an unexpectedly long, (mostly) blissful stay.

The week before leaving, we drove down to Texas for some personal errands, but also used it as an excuse to meet up with my sis in Austin—since with Italy back on the table, I wasn’t sure how soon I’d be able to see her again!

We were only with her for about 3 hours in the evening, but we got plenty of things done during that time—like, acquainting ourselves with her cat Autumn, and having a to-go vegan dinner from Counter Culture, which we ate outside at a picnic table in horridly humid weather, accompanied by mosquitoes…

(Left to Right; Top to Bottom – 1) Hangin’ with Miss Autumn, 2) Dusk views of UT Tower, 3) I can see the Texas Capitol?, 4) TURTLE POND!, 5) CAMPUS CAT!, 6) UT Parking Structure because why not…)

It was a short, but sweet evening. I felt a little depressed after we left my sister, since I knew my stay with family would be coming to a definite close. It’s the biggest tease life can throw at you—the opportunity to stay with loved ones for an indeterminate amount of time, followed by an abrupt parting.

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Before corona, I was exhausted with life. I was tired of Los Angeles. I was tired of being surrounded by people who lacked ambition, and those who constantly complained about what they didn’t have. Their selfishness and callous attitudes were rubbing off on me, and my tolerance for human beings was at an all-time low. I found solace in spending time with shelter animals because they lifted my mood back up after a hard work week.

I was looking forward to leaving for Italy because in my mind, it was a ticket to a new, exciting experience. I was craving adventure in all aspects, and I wanted to drop everything and just fly over!

During corona, I put all of these thoughts on hold. The circumstances initially fueled my disgust for humankind further. I felt like there was no hope to be had in people. I was fortunate to be able to work remotely and live comfortable with family, but not knowing the outcome of anything was aggravating, to say the least. Seeing the cases rise in Italy for weeks was discouraging. I had days that I pondered over “back-up plans”. I put learning Italian “on hold”. Motivation was at an all-time low…

After (?) corona (perhaps I should say, when Italy was ready for me…), I had to put my big girl pants on again. After spending almost 3 months of quality time with my Dad—something I hadn’t done since 2013/2014 before starting my PhD (!!)—I was not enthusiastic about going out into the world again…especially one that was battered by the aftermath of a pandemic.

The truth was, when people asked me afterwards if I was “SUPEREXCITEDABOUTGOINGTOITALY?!”, my heart wasn’t in the “yes” that was my reply. Obviously, months of unplanned events had an effect on my thoughts and outlook for the future.

My enthusiasm would take time to grow again, and I had to accept that. At least I had my good health in all of this 💛.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed your outlook on life?

Pree July 31, 2020

The Body by Bill Bryson

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Written: April 29, 2020

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On my most recent trip to India, one of my cousins asked what I would like (as a gift), but I’m not one to be picky about gifts just for visiting family! Of course, I brushed off her offer (politely, haha), but she insisted.

Knowing I’m the “researcher” of our clan of cousins, she gifted me with a book by a favorite author of some of my uncles and my Dad: The Body by Bill Bryson.

It was a hefty book to bring back from India, but I was curious to see what Bryson, a master of science communication, had to say on the broad topic of the human body.

In an effort not to end up writing a blasé book review (because that is not my intention…), my focus will be on specific points Bryson brings up that I found fascinating, intriguing, and even controversial given the all-too-fresh COVID-19 pandemic.

As you can tell from the length of the Table of Contents, it seems to me as if no sub-topic of the human body was left abandoned…

Within the first couple of pages, you can tell that Bryson has a way of describing the components of the human body with humorous curiosity.

He also threads in history throughout the book, noting the quirky, weird, and heroic actions of scientists back in the day, and how their fascinations led to the discoveries we know of today.

There’s also a mix of sociology, with one quote that really stood out:

It makes you think, doesn’t it? That skin pigmentation—the very thing that stirs up wars, targeted-violence, and micro-aggressions—arises from a sliver of skin approximatey 1 millimeter thick.

You could probably guess that my obsession with the “skin chapter” indicates my overall fancy of the book, and you wouldn’t be far off. I found some chapters more interesting than others—for example, a few chapters in, when I got to “The Chemistry Department”.

The section itself discusses the history and difficulties of treating hormone-based disorders, but what caught my attention was the complications with oxytocin, and how the difficulties of studies focused on it describe the trials and tribulations of biomedical research in general.

Oxytocin is famously known as a “motherly” hormone, in the sense that it is what drives the emotional connection between mother and child; it drives uterine contractions in childbirth and induces the production of breast milk. It doesn’t stop there though—Bryson notes that the hormone also plays a huge role in facial recognition and helping us to interpret moods in other people.

You’d think that in vivo animal studies would help us elucidate oxytocin’s mechanisms, but it has done the opposite. In a rat-based study, females given oxytocin were driven to increase production of nests and care for pups even if they were born to a different mother. On the other hand, oxytocin clinically administered to humans had no effect or rather, a negative effect, causing patients to experience more aggressive and less co-operative behaviors. The point is, the very insignificant size of a hormone belies the huge impact it has on our body.

What caught my attention as well was the the “Deep Breath” chapter. The fact that I landed into a discussion about sinuses and lungs in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic seemed like more than a coincidence—this book was published in October 2019, and after I read about the nature of a sneeze, I was wondering why on earth the CDC didn’t recommend the usage of face masks by the general public much earlier at the onset of the pandemic…

Bryson highlighted the work of Dr. Lydia Bouroubia of MIT, a “sneeze expert” if you will. Sneeze droplets can travel up to approximately 26 feet and can drift in the air for 10 minutes before landing on surfaces. A sneeze itself was found to be comparable to a sheet of liquid film versus a collection of individual droplets flying out separately, but together. Temperature also plays a role in how sneeze droplets fuse together, an action more favorable in colder weather.

All of this would have been valuable information for the general public to be aware of pre-COVID. But perhaps these times have ignited a curiosity for people to further their understanding of infections and how they spread…I only hope.

If I’m mentioning covid, might as well highlight the “When Things Go Wrong” chapter. It’s uncanny how Bryson’s paragraphs on epidemics is so fitting for the times. Given that it takes months—years even—from the inception of a book to its release on bookstore shelves, you could almost say Bryson’s depth of (digestible) information on infectious diseases was a foreshadowing event. Like, Bill Gates Ted Talk circa 2015 level.

“A successful virus is one that doesn’t kill to well and can circulate widely,” Bryson writes, when he discusses the 1918 Spanish flu: an epidemic that thrived because of the contagion’s persistence and contractability. On the other hand, Ebola tends to be highly lethal but this characteristic lends it to be slow-spreading.

To me, the most striking characteristic about (most) infectious diseases are their origins—their zoonotic origins. Whether you consume animals or not, the data is there to interpret. The domestication of animals brought along with farming and agriculture also brought along leprosy, plague, tuberculosis, typhus, diphteheria, measles, influenzas, and coronaviruses…

I think nature is giving us big clues about something…

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Overall, the publication of Bryson’s book and when I read it could not have happened at a “better” time—a time of a newfound respect for things science. The discoveries that make science take patience, organization, and creative thinking that only certain individuals may find solace in, but its communication should not be restricted.

Bryson does an amazing job distilling the biology, throwing in creative descriptions, and chuckle-worthy anecdotes to make the human body a topic more approachable to the layperson…and it needs to be.

COVID-19 has proved/continues to prove that it is imperative for the general public to have a solid understanding of science. Like I said earlier, the simple observation that a sneeze is more of a liquid sheet versus individual droplets sprayed out sporadically in various directions paints a better picture for someone, who can then make a conscientious decision to wear a face mask and understand why they should.

Need a good read?

Want to come out of this pandemic feeling like an expert in biology?

Then I recommend this knowledge-packed piece of literature. 👌🏽