Quarantine Dailies
By J24D
This is an experimental podcast to explore these unprecedented times.
Quarantine dailies explores a different person’s perspective every day, exploring how their life was back in January, how it is now with quarantining and social distancing, and what they are striving to shape up for the future.
Quarantine DailiesApr 20, 2020
#028 - Teresa Presas in Brussels - giving back to society, connecting to the roots and perspectives on the European response
Born in Portugal, international career, lives in Brussels, married to a Belgian, a son living in France and a Japanese grandson... Teresa is a true citizen of the world.
This is a wide ranging conversation and fascinating perspective of someone who's had a truly international life, and is now taking some time to reconnect back to the roots and give back.
As usual, hit up podcast@j24d.com for feedback!
#BLM - Facing up to a dark history
This year is the first time I heard about #Juneteenth. I had to come to terms with how little I know about my own cultural background and history.
You see, Portuguese Slave Trade and American Racial History clearly intersect. And I did not know that.
I dug into this for myself. But then I thought I should share it, and that's how this episode came about.
If you do end up listening, I would love your thoughts.
#027 - Ana Costa, engineer in Gothenburg, Sweden - Swedish quarantine lifestyle and how they were already social distancing before the pandemic
Originally from Spain, Ana moved to Sweden a couple of years ago.
For the last couple of months she’s been stuck between two realities: contrasting her near complete freedom where she lives with the extreme restrictions and fear with her family back home.
In this really fun conversation, Ana explores:
• How being in touch with the Spanish experience made her feel guilty
• Why Sweden is a great place to be in
• How Swedes were pretty much social distancing just because of social norms
• What she is looking forward to explore next in the country
• Eating better and staying healthy during these times.
As usual, looking forward to your feedback!
podcasts@j24d.com
#026 - Tatiana, Hospitality Manager in Dubai, UAE - closing down a restaurant because of COVID, the reality in UAE, and the privilege of Travel
What would you do if the restaurant you managed closed permanently due to the pandemic?
That's what happened to Tatiana, but she remains positive about all the future projects and prospects for her industry.
#025 - Richard Mori, CEO in Kigali, Rwanda - the impact of COVID on civil liberties, the future of rural electrification in Africa, and the current situation in Rwanda
When the COVID lockdown became a reality, Richard had a choice. Take one of the last flights back home to the UK, or stay with his staff and company in Rwanda.
Richard never doubted what his choice would be, but it wasn't easy all the same.
Talking from his office and bedroom in Kigali, we have a conversation that really engaged our brains but warmed our hearts. We discuss everything from:
• the future of rural electrification in Rwanda
• helping those earning daily wages over there
• getting back into cooking and watching Tiger King
• the potential impact of the crisis on our civil liberties
And much more...
Find out more about Meshpower's work in Rwanda via http://www.meshpower.co.rw/ or by following them on Instagram @meshpowerltd.
You may recognise some of the names in this podcast. Clovis was in episode number 2 of this podcast, works for Richard's company and is a common friend... Check out Clovis's episode if you haven't already!
Suggestions for this podcast? Would love to hear from you! Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#024 - Christina, Manager at Cannabis Dispensary in Denver, CO - dealing with anxiety during tough times, the pressure of being an essential worker, and the discovering the world of cannabis
Christina works at a dispensary in Denver Colorado, and loves it. But since Cannabis dispensaries were deemed essential businesses, Christina has gone to work every single day during the lockdown.
This is a fun and fascinating conversation where we explore:
• the medical benefits of Cannabis, and why it makes sense to keep dispensaries open during these tough times
• the diverse range of people that use it nowadays
• dealing with anxiety
• dealing with rude people
And much more.
Suggestions for the podcast or ideas on who to interview next? Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#023 - Manuela Veiga, HR Manager at the EU commission in Brussels, Belgium - transitioning 30,000 staff to working from home and the EU response
Manuela is in the business of taking care of people.
#022 - Andrea Perez, Researcher in Mexico City - becoming a first time mother during the pandemic, dealing with anxiety, and the situation in Mexico City.
There was only one thing going through Andrea’s mind back in January: getting through her pregnancy.
That changed shortly after her baby was born, and lockdowns started getting enforced.
In this wide ranging and positive conversation with Andrea, we discuss:
• The magic in studying old books and manuscripts
• How the lockdown means spending more quality time with her husband and newborn
• How her previous dealings with anxiety have helped her cope with the current times
• The different realities in Mexico City right now
• How different the experiences of our kids raised in a post pandemic world will be from our own
• The parallels between the current pandemic and that brought by European colonisers to North America in the 16th century
A wonderful chat!
Let us know any feedback and suggest next guests via podcasts@j24d.com
# 21 - Alexio, Entrepreneur in Genoa, Italy - perspectives on the European response, impact on the logistics sector
Alexio had his luggage packed as he walked into his Genoa office, ready to catch his regular flight to Brussels for a meeting.
But that meeting got cancelled. And then another. And as he sat having dinner back home that night, the first step in the Italian lockdown was announced.
Talking from one of the hardest hit regions in Italy, Alexio gives his perspective on the industries he works closely with, including logistics and EU funding, and sheds some light into the opportunities he sees for the future.
The call quality was as good as the overworked internet connection from the whole of Italy on lockdown allowed us to, but it was a great chat.
Subscribe and listen now.
Suggestions on who to interview next? Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#020 - Julie Picquet, attorney in Manhattan, New York - how COVID-19 is highlighting privilege, navigating eery New York in quarantine and strategies for staying sane in a tiny apartment
Every day Julie writes in her journal from her Manhattan apartment. Leafing back through it tells the story of how masks started taking over the city, before bars started closing down and the streets became empty.
From her 350 sqft (32 sq m) apartment, Julie chats openly about how to social distance responsibly, the response of the state of New York vs that of the country, and how the crisis made the relative privilege of so many of us so apparent.
A great conversation for episode 20 of Quarantine Dailies.
Ping us at podcast@j24d.com to suggest who we should interview next.
#19 - David, Entrepreneur in Kampala, Uganda - life in East Africa pre and post COVID19, coming back home to start a business, and teaching Yoga on Zoom
David has lived and worked in New York, London and all around. A few years ago, he felt the calling to come back to Uganda and start a business.
Has COVID-19 hit Uganda badly? Not yet according to David, but the concerns are very real, in a country that can't really afford to be in a lockdown for long.
David talks about the benefits of business and life in Uganda without COVID, what he's most looking forward to, and how he got to teaching Yoga over Zoom over the last few weeks.
An incredible chat with an even more incredible person.
Suggestions for who to interview next? Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
# 18 - Dago, startup founder in Juarez, Mexico - redesigning better ventilators, starting startups in Mexico and better alternatives for government response
After a few years diving into clean tech in Europe, Dago (@Dagocedillos on Twitter) decided to jump back into native Mexico to launch a new startup venture.
Mid way through raising their funding, COVID19 hit.
But while those operations stopped, did Dago just stay put?
Not at all.
With the help of his girlfriend and while staying close to family, Dago has been able to use his skills to put respirators back in actions, help redesign new units, chart out the progress of the disease and the crisis in the country, all the while trying to beat his Mum at learning a new language.
You’ll have to listen to this one to believe it.
You can follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/dagocedillos and take a look and provide feedback in his medium article about an alternative way to stop support the economy during social distancing https://medium.com/@dagocedillos/can-we-press-pause-on-our-economy-6e2d13d3d2fa
Dago’s book suggestion was Utopia for Realists, by Rutger Bregman.
Suggest who to interview next by getting in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#017 Dan Magy, startup CEO & serial entrepreneur in San Diego, CA - on listening to advance warnings & finding the next startup opportunities
This is a story with a twist. Because Dan heard so many COVID-19 warning signs… he actually listened. So when it hit, he and his company were prepared.
Dan is one of those serial entrepreneurs who can actually back up the title with real evidence. His latest venture is Elevate Dynamics (https://elevate-dynamics.com/), which is bringing an Apple-like attention to the design and manufacture of prosthetics and healthcare products.
You can connect with Dan by searching for Daniel Magy on LinkedIn.
Suggestions about the podcast? get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#16 Nellie, Wealth Manager in LA, CA - weathering the storm on the stock market, making waves in philanthropy, and what each of us can do to help
Usually her work is face to face, but no more.
Listen to the advice Nellie is giving her clients, how she is coping with the changes, and the ways she has found to help.
If you can, contribute to the causes Nellie mentioned:
• United Way www.unitedway.org/get-involved/ways-to-give#
• IAW iawfoundation.com/
#015 - Joana - surgeon in Basel, Switzerland - balancing duty and risk at the hospital, staying positive and the situation in Switzerland
Joana is a surgeon in Basel, Switzerland.
All her elective surgeries have been postponed. She now goes in to help out in the hospital in any way she can.
Sometimes it gets intense, like having lungs infected with COVID-19 exposed directly to her face.
And afterwards she comes home to her boyfriend who is quarantined, and part of a population that is at risk.
Scary? Yes.
But this conversation is also filled with humor and good spirits/
Joana discusses:
• ‘rescuing’ her boyfriend from France
• life in Switzerland before and after quarantine
• how the pandemic was downplayed in Switzerland for too long
• balancing her duties in the hospital with the risks in the current pandemic
Feedback? Suggestions on who to interview next?
e-mail us at podcast@j24d.com or search for Quarantine Dailies and follow us on Facebook and leave us a message
#014 - Jorge Carneiro - business CEO in São Paulo, Brazil - working from home is good news, opportunities for e-business, re-learning to learn, and the situation in Brazil
Jorge had just finished acquiring his business in Brazil - then the COVID-19 crisis started to hit.
Jorge explores:
• what he and his team did to get prepared for the COVID19 storm,
• how he perceives the situation in Brazil,
• the future of working from home,
• the opportunities for business given a new market is being exposed to online tools,
• why he’s re-learning how to read with his family at home
Learn more about Jorge’s business in Brazil via www.ao3.tech and follow him on Instagram @carneiro.jorge and twitter @JorgeSC_ao3
#013 - Dat in Singapore & Jakarta, Indonesia - the sad reality of COVID-19 in Jakarta slums and finding opportunities in developing countries
Dat was used to live in Singapore with his wife during the weekend, and work in Jakarta, Indonesia during the week, where he helped to redevelop the slums.
Except that now he cannot leave Singapore anymore.
In this fascinating conversation, Dat talks openly about:
• his concerns about the spread of COVID-19 through the slums of Jakarta,
• the opportunities to be found in periods like these in developing countries
• his hobby of creating charts to deconstruct the world around him
• finance, socio-economics and more!
#012 Kuba - coffee expert in London, UK - the impact on hospitality jobs, the benefits of boredom and the importance of volunteering right now
Kuba (@takijakub on Instagram) is passionate about hospitality... and coffee! After two years of great jobs with the likes of Café Ducasse he decided to change jobs, change house... then the Quarantine hit.
In this conversation I was taken aback by how optimistic about the future he remains, how he keeps investing in new projects and his commitment to volunteering at this time where so many people need it.
Feedback about the podcast? Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#011 - Maria Almeida in Lisbon, Portugal - life in Lisbon and the importance of time
Maria (@mariardalmeida) is the Head of editorial at the startup Unbabel by day, and a reporter by night. In other words, a true modern Clark Kent.
You can follow the journalist project she co-founded via https://fumaca.pt/ or @fumacapt on social media. Yes, it's in Portuguese.
Suggestions for the podcast? Get in touch with your suggestions via podcast@j24d.com
#010 - Gabi near Barcelona, Spain - epidemiologist who studies animal to human disease transmission
#009 - Danny in Austin, Tx - creating a brand new online business in 48 hours, staying positive, and opportunities in the fitness industry
In this riveting account, Danny (@rxfitco) takes us through how he took his fitness brand online within 48 hours of understanding what was about to happen.
We discuss:
- What a “Jesus Year” is
- The need for a “fire under our butts” to get us moving
- Taking action and being mindful through the pandemic
- Opportunities in the fitness industry
Check out Danny via https://www.rxfit.co/ and @rxfitco on Instagram and Twitter, including for home workout tips.
Suggestions or feedback for the podcast? Ideas on who should be interviewed next?
Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#008 - Ruben in Copenhagen, Denmark - on the parallels between COVID-19 and the Global Warming pandemic and the sensible response by the Danish Government
Ruben lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is thankful to have a job that is minimally disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, he is obsessed with drawing parallels between the societal response to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the Global Warming crisis.
Suggestions about the podcast? Ideas of who should be interviewed next?
Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#007 - Carlos near Marseilles, France - on the anxiety of not being able to plan ahead, people taking action to help and the situation in France.
Carlos lives in Sunny Southern France - but there is no real way to enjoy it, as the government lockdown prevents him from walking more than 10m (33ft) away from his front door.
#006 - Chetan in London and South America - keeping it positive, opportunities for small businesses and concerns over Venezuela
Chetan is an educator and real life adventurer - follow him on Instagram @chetventure to see his latest explorations in Colombia.
A super positive and energetic person, we touch on many difficult subjects but keep an optimistic outlook:
• The situation in Colombia, where Chet's finacee is
• Concerns over how bad COVID-19 can get Venezuela after the crisis over the last two years
• Colombian coffee
• Travelling amid shutdowns
• The opportunities to create new "remote" and "virtual meets real" experiences after this
Suggestions of other interviewees? Suggestions for the podcast? Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com!
#005 - Alim in Mombasa, Kenya - steps to take as a business owner facing the pandemic, the potential impact of a lockdown in Kenya, and time to invest in the stock market
Alim is the COO of Weld-Con, an Engineering and Procurement services company based in Kenya that operates all over East Africa.
In this conversation we discuss:
- the worries behind a potential lockdown in Kenya and the impact
- What he’s had to do with his business to set it up to survive this storm
- Is this a good time to invest in the stock market?
Alim mentions a book he is reading and is very relevant to the current times: blood in the streets investment profits in a world gone mad
Suggestions of someone who should be interviewed? Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com
#004 - Ines in Melbourne, Australia - working out from home, being quarantined after a trip, the Australian response to the virus and Aussie rules football
Ines lives in Melbourne, Australia and has been in Quarantine for over 10 days in her flat after landing from a trip to Japan.
In this uplifting conversation we discuss:
- What on earth is Australian “Footie”
- Quarantining after a trip
- The opportunity for businesses now, including bidet manufacturers
Ines also mentioned a few things to look up:
- The Australian prime minister trying to say “Barre”
- Wafflestomp - look it up on Urban Dictionary
- Brandy Sanderson books
Tips for the podcast? Someone you would like to hear here?
E-mail us with the details at podcast@j24d.com
See you tomorrow!
#003 Haroon in London - on the impact of COVID-19 in native Pakistan, spending more time with daughter, and getting on with home improvements
Haroon is a rockstar developer and manager of high performance software teams.
Originally from Pakistan, he has some sobering thoughts about how COVID-19 spread there, and the impact it can still have on the local economy.
#002 - Clovis in Kigali, Rwanda - dealing with COVID-19 fears, learning to work from home, and the reality in Rwanda
Cleophas (AKA Clovis) is from Rwanda, and part of the Meshpower team, a for-profit enterprise working to bring electricity connection to the nearly half of the Rwandan population still without access by 2024.
As I was chatting with Clovis the Rwandan government announced a lockdown, and the reality is that he is deeply concerned. Not only about himself, but about the Rwandan population that leaves close to the poverty line and is not able to work from home - who will be really hard hit.
Listen in to find out more, how he's dealing with it, and the opportunities he finds for his own personal development.
We talk about some music, so here it is:
- Chop my money (Remix) by P Square, a Nigerian song with over 38m views which will light up any party;
- Pala Pala and Buhoro Buhoro by King James, a Rwandan artist;
- Whistle by Flo Rida (not Jason Derulo as mistakenly said in the podcast!);
Know someone who should be on this podcast?
Get in touch via podcast@j24d.com and provide name and contact details, and short reason why!
#001 - Peter Irving in Austin, Texas - on working from home before and after the quarantine and the freedom of being an introvert
As a freelance mobile developer, Peter is no stranger to working from home.
But dealing with COVID-19 and self quarantining still changed the game.
In this catch up we discuss the highs and lows of working from home, having more time for creative endeavours, and the perks of being an introvert.
Highlights below, and you can also grab some blues guitar lessons with Peter at https://funkyrootsguitar.com/
Some highlights:
- More time at home means perfect time to hone up on technical skills. Peter was able to go through a 7 hour course in the last week alone. In the past, he learnt iOS and Flutter development on his own, using Udemy courses.
- But there is also time to spend on creative endeavours, such as getting better on the guitar
- Peter is also finding Friends and Family are open to good conversations over the phone, so he makes a point of having at least one good call a day
- There is less pressure to go out and socialise - it's OK to stay home and do something hours on end
We geeked out about:
- Fast Fourier Transforms, and how they can be used in signal processing, such as identifying the the note played when someone plays a chord on the Guitar. It's fascinating and powerful Maths stuff. If you're at all interested, you can read more about that here.
- The Expanse, the sci-fi show Peter is loving on Amazon Prime
- 2001 Space Odyssey - the book by Arthur C Clarke
Know someone who should be interviewed?
Let us know at www.j24d.com/podcast