Resilient New Cultures under Lockdown
We need Your Stories for Beijing Postcards Oral History Project
In my courtyard children are playing like never before, it is as if the peculiar circumstances we are living under has lifted the weight of homework off their tiny shoulders.
The security guards that normally stand lonely, bored and utterly unappreciated have found a new purpose in these extraordinary circumstances. They are now the caretakers of the small community platform that has emerged outside the main gate, receiving packages and conducting health checks. You can see a new found strength in their posture as they take pride in their new found value and appreciation.
My friend Yuri noted the other day that there is now a much stronger respect for certain society functions that are normally taken for granted and overlooked. Teachers, nurses, garbage collectors are among those who emerge as the real pillars of society. We have become united in protecting the weakest and least productive parts of the population, and there is something truly extraordinary about that.
Send us your stories and become part of our archive
We at Beijing Postcards think that fear and anxiety has already had its fair share of documentation. We know that there is a high degree of control and confinement, even a lack of empathy with the people whose businesses have been shot down, but there is also light coming in.
Now we would like to focus on the resilient cultures that has developed in your lives and communities. Send us stories and pictures of things that have been transformed by the strange limbo we are in. What have you observed? What would you like to remain part of your life even when lockdowns and social distancing rules have eased?
Write a brief summary of your observations and please include photos if you have any. We are looking for stories that in one way or the other relate to the city of Beijing. The dogma of your writing should be that the words: Corona, Covid 19 or virus can not be mentioned. We are looking for stories about the coping mechanisms and unique cultures that this lockdown has created.
We think that this is a vital element of the history writing of this moment. It will reflect what was before, describe what is now and remind us that we have a strong say in shaping what is to come.
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Please share this post and send us your stories and pictures to be part of our record of these extraordinary times.
Stories can be sent directly to info@beijing-postcards.com