Coronavirus Eleven Hours

I am 11 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Ever since I came back home to Thailand, every interaction that tethers me to Penn— Zoom classes, FaceTime catch-ups, text messages—has taken place at night. When the sun goes down in Bangkok, my college experience in America comes back to life. During the daytime, I wait.

Everyone I see back home—friends, family, acquaintances—asks me how long I’ll have to wait.

“When do you think you’ll be able to go back to college?”

“I don’t know. At least not for another six months.”

“I should hope so, America looks terrifying right now. Most COVID-19 cases in the world! Do you think you can go back for spring?”

I wish I could turn back the clock to pre-pandemic times, when the standard greetings consisted of questions that were easier and more pleasant to answer. For example: “What are you going to do with your major?” and “Did you gain weight?”

At least with those questions, I was the most qualified person to answer them. But as one of the lucky few attending an American university, I have somehow become the local authority for predicting America’s future and explaining its COVID-19 response.

Read more in The Pennsylvania Gazette >>