How seven girls from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka and the U.S. started a pen pal group during COVID-19.

I love meeting and talking to new people. That's why I started making pen pals online. For the last two years, I’ve connected and corresponded with so many amazing people from all over the world through websites like PenPal World and InterPals. When quarantine began, I contacted a few of my pen pals and created a girls’ writing group to keep us busy while isolated.

Our group consists of seven girls from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka and the U.S. Once every few weeks, we write a type of diary entry and share what we’ve written with each other. Then, we all discuss the entry in our group chat on Google Hangouts. We began writing on March 25, 2020, sharing with each other about our daily lives, the upheaval in our communities due to the pandemic and our general thoughts and feelings about subjects like our culture, our hobbies, our beliefs and views or even just random things that came into our minds.

Meeting girls from all around the world and getting to know them online has been one of the best experiences of my life. I love being honest and open-minded with my pen pals. During a challenging time, it has helped me feel like I'm being heard and cared for by someone from the other side of the world. Our group of girls is so powerful because we are able to connect despite our religious, cultural and racial differences. We are lifting each other up through our writing and, of course, through our friendship. I have a different kind of bond with each member of this group, but all of them have taught me about friendship, love, caring and sharing.

Let me introduce you to my pen pal group, and share with you some of our favourite entries from the last few months.

10 June 2020 — Witnessing history

So it's been so long since I have written something. And to be honest, a lot of things happened while I wasn't writing. There are more than 60,000 COVID-19 cases here in Bangladesh right now and almost 1,000 deaths. I might drop this year and I might have to start this grade over again after COVID-19 is all over. Well if I have to drop a year all my classmates have to drop too so it’s not that bad as we all are in this together. And I think I'm kind of getting used to staying home as I haven't been out since March. Conditions in European countries are getting better as many countries are trying to get back to normal life, but is it really possible? God knows. I’ve been doing online classes still, thanks to my teachers. Last month it was the month of Ramadan and me and my family fasted for a month. This year’s Eid was really different as people couldn't celebrate it with their loved ones. My family and I stayed at home and tried to enjoy ourselves.

My pen pals are giving me great company while being at home. I always love talking with Hailey (my Sri Lankan best friend). We chat so much even though we say we are bored and we manage to make each other laugh every time we talk. I also met a beautiful soul recently and we got attached to each other immediately. Her name is Sagnika, I call her Sagi, she is from India. And believe me, she is such a great and beautiful-hearted girl, I really loved her family a lot!

Bhalook (my grandpa) is still ill, he had to go to the hospital twice last month and we were so worried about him. But thank God he is home now and we are taking care of him. To be honest, Maa works so hard and does so much work alone, she cooks, takes care of us and my grandpa, she is an artist and writer so she does her artworks in our family art studio and writes too. Though we try to help her, there is still a lot of work. I usually help her with the household work, like cleaning and cooking. Sometimes I cook dinner for my family so that she can rest. I’m very close to my maa and I love her more than anything.

I don't know when this pandemic will be over, but it’s true that we are witnessing history and many years later people might read what I'm writing now.

26 March 2020 — Adapting in quarantine

It seems that our sleeping schedules have turned into absolute mayhem!

Now that there's no need to wake up early, all of us go to bed after midnight. My parents usually watch a film or something while my brothers play games. And I stay up talking to people or watching YouTube videos. Then we wake up really late, like after noon, and then the day is literally finished. Feels like we shouldn't be sticking to the unhealthy schedule but oh well, I have insomnia anyway.

I was talking to my dad today about the COVID-19 pandemic. He says that he thinks the curfew here will last well into next month and that it will take some time for the world to go back to normal ... especially in places like Italy, where the outbreak is worst. It's good to see China returning to normal though, they haven't reported any new cases for two consecutive days now. Meanwhile Sri Lanka has reported three new cases today, after no cases were found yesterday. Six people have recovered and are at home, while three people are in the ICU. Also many countries are going into lockdown for 21 days, including India and South Africa.

Basically I did nothing today either. It’s just that … I can’t get myself to really do anything. Mom says we are getting lazy and that by the end of the pandemic, we’ll all be dumb and really, really lazy, which made me laugh today. She also says she’ll make us run 100 laps around our garden tomorrow, which meets me with uncertainty but at least it’s a workout so let’s see if she goes along with the idea! Oh also, our data package is over, thanks to my brothers totally over-playing games which means I have to wait for midnight to connect myself to the internet again — which is making me even more miserable because coming online is the only thing that I can do in this boring time of quarantine! But, hey, I managed and I will manage till the 28th, which is when they recharge the package. I heard somewhere that they were going to offer us free data because of the ongoing lockdown and curfew but I don’t know if it’s true. All I hope is that it is! However I heard on the radio that Instagram nearly had a breakdown a few days back, because so many people were using it at the same time. Despite having no WiFi at daytime, I guess I’m really grateful for music. It really keeps me sane and is a huge part of who I am as well.

Coronavirus currently has infected 468,644 people worldwide. I pray everything will be OK soon.

31 March 2020 — Reverse psychology

I’m fairly sure everyone has heard of reverse psychology before. They say if you oppose someone about something, it only makes them want to do it more. I never believed such things in my life … until the day I was sitting down with my family at night watching the live cabinet meeting. It was 9 o’clock and the whole family was gathered in the living room, focusing four pairs of eyes on one screen. The prime minister gave his speech on the measures being taken regarding this virus that has seemed to shock the world. Public places were prohibited and unfamiliar terms like social distancing kept arising in every sentence. Then during the meeting one particular statement boldly imprinted in my mind. It was an unforgettable statement from Dr. Norman Swan saying to young people: “You don’t want to be responsible for the death of an elderly.” I have always regarded this virus as a fleeting matter that would be gone in a few days. I was wrong.

Every public place was banned, which cleared up my weekly schedule like water. Schools were still open but students were encouraged not to attend. When I went to school on Monday, March 23, I thought I knew what loneliness felt like. Barely 50 students out of 1,000 attended, and only two were from my year. It possibly couldn’t get worse from here. Well, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. From that day on I have never stepped outside on the roads. The neighbourhood remained at an eerie silence and days passed on without any meaning. I pondered and questioned myself why all this was happening. Honestly, I’m still not sure why. The scientific explanations make sense but my heart still cannot accept this reality.

Reverse psychology does in fact exist. I’m a reserved person who does not enjoy socialising as much as others. In the course of five days, my mind did a full 180 and brought out all the social eagerness out of me. I longed to go to a park and lay in the sun or kick a ball around. Soon I figured out I wasn’t alone in this pool of loneliness. All over social media, the coronavirus became the most talked-about issue and people complained about the boredom that has been brought to us. In the flood of negative posts, I eventually found a positive one. It talked about how we should effectively use this time to improve ourselves. We should wake up every day and spend it productively instead of letting it slip through our fingers. We should continue living with a reason.

I took that positive post and started implementing it into my daily life. Completing schoolwork posted online became my daily routine, along with keeping the house clean. I tried taking up some hobbies like cooking and crafts. Now I cook my family dinner every night and work little by little on a craft project. I also started reading books and watching videos on all topics. Soon I realised that if I can do these things, gradually my blank schedule can once again be filled up with new exciting activities that make my day worthwhile. I hope I can become a better person each day and be aware of the world situation so when future generations ask me about my experience during this pandemic, I will have an answer ready. Let’s not let reverse psychology get the best of us.

12 June 2020 — Playing it safe

Today as I was teaching my little sister I decided that I wanted to be a little creative and have a go at drawing. However this time I wanted to step away from my typical style of realism and try my cartoonish style, which I used to LOVE doing.

I only managed to do the face but I was inspired by one of my favourite artists, IU. It doesn’t 100% look like her, but hopefully the more I practise the more I can develop my own casual style and make it look like who I intend it to look like. Maybe I can make my own characters too.

I also started drawing Taehyun from TXT not so long ago but in its current state it looks like Hyunjin from StrayKids. Hopefully as I continue this drawing it will look more like the reference picture.

As of right now Belfast, the capital city, is on its way to reopening to save the economy, and my local area which isn’t too far away is also trying to reopen its non-essential shops.

Matalan, a clothing and homeware shop, recently started opening its shops and the lockdown seems to be easing everyday. When I’m scrolling through social media I always see people I know hanging out with their friends and having fun.

As for me, I think I’m going to play it safe for a little longer since I don’t have the strongest of immune systems...

13 June 2020 — Hoping for a positive change

I wanted to touch on the university situation here in Atlantic Canada, because that’s something that is really affecting me and my friends’ times in quarantine. As of right now, the majority of major universities around here have declared that the fall semester will be online-only, meaning a lot of my friends are staying home instead of moving into residences. I’m incredibly thankful because my school is one of the only ones, if not the only one, that is moving ahead with what they call a “hybrid” learning plan. It means that they are having students on campus for the fall semester, but school is postponed by a month to allow any out-of-province or international students to quarantine for 14 days in their residence room. Then classes will be a combination of in-person and online. I am living off campus, so I will be moving into my house at the end of August anyway, which gives me a month to get settled in to a new place before classes start. I am so happy that I get to be in my favourite town with my friends, even if there are some protocols that keep us apart. I really feel for my friends at other schools, who will be learning from home. It’s tough to stay motivated without the presence of your peers around you, or at least, that’s my experience.

Another thing I wanted to mention is the summer job situation in my province. Many summer jobs that students often have — working at a summer camp, teaching swim or music lessons or coaching a sports team — all of those are cancelled for the summer. This has left so many students without work, and many local businesses aren’t hiring because they don’t need new staff while their workplace is under new regulations. Our government has put two financial supports in place, one that is specifically designed for students, and this has been a lifesaver for me and for all of my friends as we all search for work. I am happy to say I have found a job, but it is only for two months, so the financial support I received was still essential for me to be able to pay rent on my apartment, etc. We are so lucky to be living in Canada right now and be able to receive those supports.

This is my last journal, so I want to reflect a bit on the last four months. Between isolation and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement being in the news, I am more aware than ever of the privilege I have in our society. Sure, isolation was tough for me, but I never had to worry about a roof over my head or where my next meal is coming from, and I can’t even express how grateful I am for that. Going forward, I intend to keep learning and advocating for the issues I learned about while I was home.

As a society, I really hope that we will change some things as we return to “normal.” For one thing, people have been spending so much time outside, because it’s the only way to visit your friends, and I think that’s amazing. I hope that never changes back; getting fresh air and sun as you visit with friends is so healthy. I also hope we can take a look at the state of the environment during this time and use what we have learned to make changes for a more sustainable practice. Finally, I hope that everybody who has had the time to learn and reflect on the injustice we see in the news with the BLM movement will continue to educate themselves, and that we can all start advocating for change to take us in a better direction as we move forward. Quarantine has been hard, but overall it has taught me a lot. I don’t know what life will look like in the next few months, but I am excited for the potential for change that we have.

10 June 2020 — The transformation

The first week of lockdown was an unbearable experience for me. Before the lockdown started I was a girl who had to go for a walk outside every day. I used to look forward to my walk alone. It was calming to my mind. That was the time I used to sort out all the emotions that came across my mind throughout the day and I would take a moment to appreciate my surroundings. As I lived every day of my life in the hectic cycle of studying, exercising my brain, completing assignments, working on projects and maintaining my practice in singing, going for a walk was the ultimate relaxation for my restless mind. Looking at the sky, the children playing, the temple close by, the people smiling at their loved ones were all things that gave my mind peace. The little nature amidst the concrete jungle that I live in was also something I really enjoyed.

But, when the lockdown started, I started to panic. How would I live imprisoned in my home for months on end? The first two days were alright. I didn't think about it much. But, as the days went by I felt as if I was trapped. I felt like I couldn't get out of this confined space that was suffocating me. I was starting to become an ugly personality. I lashed out on my family even though they were trying their best to help me cope with this new situation. This was the phase of denial. I denied the fact that I have to stay this way for at least three months.

The next phase was the phase of acceptance. I no longer had the ability to take pity on myself for not being able to go outside. So, I moved on to find other ways to keep my mind calm. I started meditating again, exercised from time to time, watched movies with my family and started writing in my diary again. Then the phase of uncertainty started. I was anxious to know how long COVID-19 would stay, how many people were getting affected, whether my city had any cases or not and other such questions. I searched up the news every day before I started studying. But I soon came to the conclusion that knowing the number of cases and other such information would not benefit me in any way. I had to take precautions to prevent the disease from spreading but I also had to take precautions to keep my mind sane. And so started the phase of positivity. I directed my mind to think only positive and make out a productive day consistently for the sake of my education and overall knowledge and experience. I started utilizing my time to my studies and made small goals for a bigger cause. I realized that keeping my mind happy didn't need walks or searching up the latest news, it required an ear to listen to the voice of the heart and what it had to say.

17 July 2020 — Little bit of magic…

It took me a while to get used to staying at home like that. It's been a long time since I haven't written anything. Things are going to be OK for now. It's true that we have passed horrendous days. My grandpa is better now. We are taking care of him regularly. Now it's been drizzling for an hour. Feels good to look at the dusky sky while hearing the mellow sound of rain.

Last month, it was the month of Ramadan. We fasted for a month and celebrated Eid in a very ordinary way. My sister and I are doing online classes every day, helping mother and doing other creative works. I have started doing miniature artworks again. We all are maintaining safety at home.

Today, there are 150,535 cases in Bangladesh and 8,566,787 cases of coronavirus all over the world.

I still have so many little hopes. This is not the end. I'm not sure how, but this epidemic will be finished one day. A whole new world will be born, and I will be free like a bird, singing as Rapunzel would upon being fetterless after so many years.

All those days watching from the windows

All those years outside looking in

All that time never even knowing

Just how blind I've been

Now I'm here blinking in the starlight

Now I'm here suddenly I see

Standing here it's all so clear

I'm where I'm meant to be

And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And it's warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything looks different

Now that I see you

Opshori Nondona

(she/her) is a 17-year-old student and food-lover from Bangladesh. She loves meeting new people, writing and learning about new languages and cultures. You can follow her on Instagram.