With legs perched upon a balcony in Turin, Italy, during the coronavirus lockdown, Agostina Massarini read her first Italian book “Una Stanza Piena Di Gente.” The English translation, “The Minds of Billy Milligan,” is a book about a man who can be anyone he wants to be besides himself. Unlike Billy Milligan, Massarini is authentically herself. Born and raised in Argentina, Massarini carries her Argentinian background along with her as she studies abroad at the University of Paris Nanterre in France and travels to Italy to visit her boyfriend, Giulio. While she studies abroad, her peers recognize her for her Argentinian roots, whereas, in Argentina, Massarini is recognized for her European mannerisms. Before the lockdown, Massarini was fortunate enough to visit her boyfriend in Turin, Italy, where she spent the first few months of quarantine. After the first few months, she left northern Italy to visit her boyfriend’s family in Sicily. However, with Italy being the second most heavily impacted country in the world, Massarini and her boyfriend were part of those affected. TURIN, ITALY According to an article written by the New York Times, Italy underestimated the coronavirus outbreak. The outbreak started on February 20 in the Lombardy region with the Veneto and Piedmont region following close behind. By February 23, officials closed schools, museums, and theatres and canceled religious and sporting events, but cafes and bars remained open until 6 p.m. Other regions known as Italy’s “economic engine” were reluctant to shut down the country, leading to a surge in new cases. By March 8, much of northern Italy was locked down, including the Piedmont region where Massarini was staying. By March 10, all nonessential movement was banned across Italy. Massarini said they were only allowed to go to the supermarket or other essential shops like the pharmacy; all of the other stores were closed due to the restrictions. However, Massarini created a meal plan, so she and her boyfriend could buy exactly what they needed before going out again. Massarini is currently pursuing a degree in intercultural management and a specialization in communication for French, English, and Spanish. Before the quarantine, Massarini was pursuing a trilingual post-graduate degree in translation and interpreting. After taking some time to reflect, Massarini made “one of the best decisions” by changing her degree. However, it was hard for Massarini to study while her boyfriend had to work. During the lockdown, they both shared a small apartment that contained little desk space to share between the two of them. Massarini said that she was sometimes forced to study in the bedroom and found it uncomfortable. Occasionally, Massarini would sit outside her balcony to observe the city. She described the weather when she would sit outside her balcony as cold but sunny. She said “every day looked like Sunday afternoons when the city was empty.” However, more people would leave their homes around midday, which is when Massarini said that the city “came back to life.” Massarini picked up a variety of different hobbies during the quarantine. She said she enrolled herself in project management and SQL courses, painted watercolor paintings, exercised, and cooked. Massarini said she never gets to cook Argentinian empanadas as they are time-consuming to make. She said the dough has to be handmade in Italy, which is different in Argentina as the dough can be bought premade. However, as the quarantine permitted Massarini more downtime, she was able to make Argentinian empanadas. SICILY, ITALY Around mid-June, Massarini and her boyfriend decided to go to Sicily to visit his family. She said it was better to spend the rest of the quarantine there than in a crowded apartment. Massarini described the atmosphere in Sicily as “much different” than the atmosphere in Turin. She said there were fewer restrictions as she and her boyfriend were not required to wear a mask unless they were in closed areas. Massarini and her boyfriend spent the majority of their time in Sicily visiting the beach. Massarini said it was nice as there were fewer tourists, so they did not have to worry about crowded beaches. Massarini described the days that they would visit the beach as her “everyday life,” which included swimming in the clear waters of Sicily, Italy. TAKEAWAYS During the quarantine, Massarini and her boyfriend were part of the many people who did not have access to a hair salon. With many hair salons closed, many people were left to cut their own hair. Articles like USA Today gave tips on how to cut your hair yourself; a “growing problem on the top of our heads” that was never considered before COVID-19. Massarini said her boyfriend insisted she cut his hair as he could not go to the hairdresser. Eventually, she overcame her fear and gave him a haircut. While people like Massarini and her boyfriend were deprived of their hair salon privileges, they also were deprived of social gatherings with their family and friends.
Massarini said, as an international student, she was used to not seeing her family. In fact, she has not seen her family since April 2019. However, it was hard for Massarini as she could not visit her family. She said she planned on visiting them in the summer, but because of the restrictions, the pandemic did not allow it. According to an article written by USA Today, Italy opened its borders on June 3. While Italy welcomed tourists, other countries were hesitant to open their borders. Although quarantine was a difficult time for many people, there are a few positive takeaways. For Massarini, this involved taking the extra time to reflect and make “one of the best decisions” for her degree. Additionally, although Massarini and many people like her were not able to see their families during the quarantine, they were still able to communicate with them through video calls, phone calls, and text messages. Massarini said she talked with her parents every day through WhatsApp. Furthermore, people like Massarini were able to find support from other people. When Massarini and her boyfriend visited Sicily, Massarini said her boyfriend’s family “were of great support and made her feel like home.” Massarini said there were moments she missed her family but found support through his family. Finally, people from Turin, Italy, received support in other ways. Massarini said at 6 p.m. every day during the lockdown, people would play classic Italian songs and clap. SOURCES: Italy seeks to boost tourism by opening regional and international borders June 3. (2020, May 16). Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/05/16/italy-open-tourists-june-3/5205784002/. Accessed on October 2, 2020. Loehrke, J. & Sergent, J. (2020, May 14). How to give yourself a haircut during the coronavirus shutdown. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/04/23/haircut-how-shape-your-own-hair-during-coronavirus-shutdown/5143897002/. Accessed on October 2, 2020. Mccann, A., Popovich, N., & Wu, J. (2020, April 05). Italy's Virus Shutdown Came Too Late. What Happens Now? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/05/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-lockdown-reopen.html. Accessed on October 2, 2020.
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