Lockdown: Stories from Inside Podcast: Recent Episodes
Amanda Sinclair
This is a series of interviews via Zoom with people living in the State of Victoria, Australia as they emerge from a 7 month Lockdown and State-wide restrictions in order to "flatten the curve" of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. We talk about what it meant for each individual to deal with sudden changes to their lives, and the unique circumstances that contributed to their ability to adapt to restrictions put in place such as a 5km radius ("ring of steel") , mandatory facemasks, work permits, checkpoints, remote learning for all children, police and military presence and heavy financial penalties for non-compliance. There is no political or ideological agenda here, and it is my hope that this space promotes understanding, compassion and growth through the sharing of human experience.
Robert is my last interview for 2020, and it seems a fitting end to a difficult year getting the perspectives of a 96 year old man, born just after the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920, which killed about 1-3% of the world's population. We hear how the residents in his Aged Care Facility were looked after and informed about COVID, and what life is like for him and the other people in the home. Robert talks of his working class roots and Christian morals, and feels that these have stood him in good stead over the years, and made him accepting and able to adapt to most situations that life offers him.
This interview I talk with Steve, a Melbourne Musician and Teacher, who lives in the Outer West of Victoria. Steve found Lockdown really hard, as his normal social outlets within the music scene of Melbourne were suddenly gone, as were his face-to-face teaching days and other jobs. Living alone through Lockdown and cooped up in his apartment, he found himself watching a lot of TV, drinking and eating more, and in a strange time-warp. He and I discuss his difficulties with the new digital age, which for many members of Gen X and above does not work very well, and how feelings of incompetence can creep in when dealing with technology issues. We also talk about his concerns for the once thriving music scene of Melbourne, and there's a little plug to support live music once again, especially for Melbournians over this Summer - while we can.
This interview we hear from a member of the Chinese-Australian community, and talk about some of the differences between East and West, particularly in relation to the management of wide-scale social control measures such as a Lockdown. We also chat about the focus that many Chinese parents have on education and the decision made to make Australia home in order to access a better education and opportunities. Cassie is a mother of three children who works in the hospitality and gaming industry, which was greatly affected by COVID19. She is very honest about how hard it was for her to have to home educate her two primary aged daughters, plus manage a toddler at home, without knowing when and if she would get back to work.
I talk with Samsara, who is a Podcaster, Playwrite and Director and a single woman living with a disability in Brunswick - one of Melbourne's quintessential suburbs, known for it's multicultural society, progressive local government and good coffee. You'll hear us discuss Centrelink and the welfare system of Australia, Housing Commission Towers, PTSD, Anxiety and Depression and how the various reactions to the restrictions put in place affected Samsara. We also talk about the Arts scene of Melbourne and some of the finer points of mobility scooters.
Another former UK resident of Victoria delights us in this interview with her English accent and humorous anecdotes about how she coped during Lockdown, with her husband and tribe of 4 children ranging in age between 7-14, at home in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria throughout winter. This is an account of what it means to have all of your children at home all day, and to be asked to educate them from home via online learning platforms with the State curriculum, and some of the observations that Alice made of her family during this time.
In this episode we enjoy listening to our first International guest - Laura, who is originally from Scotland and is awaiting her Visa approval so she can get back to working as the Whisky Girl and sharing her knowledge and expertise in this area, while finally earning an income again. It's a fascinating interview, as Laura has had to manage a great deal of uncertainty leading up to the closure of borders this year due to COVID, and the worry that she may not ever make it back home to say goodbye to loved ones. We hear how she has coped with isolation and loss, and used this time for self-growth towards the future with her beloved partner.
This second interview is with Jon - a climatologist, husband and father of three children. He lives in a small house about 7 km from the City of Melbourne and had to pack up his office and work out of his bedroom while simultaneously trying to help his young children do online learning from home. We hear of how this all looked on a day to day basis and what he had to do in order to support his family through this time of isolation.
This is the first episode of Lockdown: Stories from Inside, and we hear from Melinda who works as a Holistic Funeral Director and navigated the State-wide restrictions to funeral services, hospital visits, and supporting people through the loss of loved ones during the pandemic. Among other things we discuss switching roles with her partner as he primarily managed the home learning of their large family while working from home himself and her observations of the impact of Lockdown on her family and in the semi-rural community in which she lives.
What is Lockdown: Stories from Inside about? A short audio introduction to the podcast series, with a little bit of information about what this social study will entail, why I felt compelled to make this podcast, and my own background and context.