Dead Languages in the Dog Hotel
The transition to quarantine life was tough at first. I have a roommate and we struggled initially trying to get used to both of us working from home. I found it hard trying to keep to the same schedule as life “before.” It was a difficult transition, but I have got my schedule down now and I’m used to it. Overall, there is a nice feeling to working from home after some adjustments.
New roommate
My roommate had been interested in adopting a dog for a while now, so during the quarantine he started fostering dogs as a way to find the right companion while giving orphaned dogs a better home than the shelter. Since this began in March, we have had 4 or 5 dogs come in and out of the house. If anything, this place became a puppy hotel. Our last foster, Clyde, a red heeler mix, was the lucky one and he is now the newest member of the household. He’s got a few quirks but he’s a complete goof like the rest of us and a fast learner, so he’s fitting in well.
Staying sharp
I've been reading a lot and also trying to learn new things. I have always had an interest in history and I figured that now is the perfect time to take on a challenge. I’ve begun learning one of the “dead” languages; specifically, Gothic. It’s the only east Germanic tongue that linguists have been able to more or less restore. Although there aren’t many texts in Gothic (in reality, the only surviving text is a bible from the 4th or 5th century), I have always been interested in the subject. Plus if I ever find myself in a time-traveling scenario it might come in handy…
I have always been an avid reader and have been accumulating a pile of books I wanted to read. Now that I’ve had more time I have been working through the stack and I just bought a bunch more. I am currently trekking my way through Livy’s history of Rome and his account of The War with Hannibal.
My time in isolation isn’t just spent on my personal hobbies. I have also started looking into professional development programs like Skillshare which offers classes on everything from video editing to illustration to photography. I have been looking into the various skills to decide which ones I will pursue. With the extra time I have, now it is a perfect opportunity to learn some new skills.
When all this is over, I’m really looking forward to getting back to more physical activity. I am really into kickboxing/Muay Thai and since lockdown, it has been nearly impossible to participate in contact sports. I think the first thing I will do once this is all over is to take out my Thai Pads and work a couple of rounds out with my friends. I mean, what better way is there to work out the tension than hitting the pads and working out these past couple months on the couch?
How are you keeping your sanity during this crazy time? Take a look at how the rest of our staff has been keeping busy in our SunStar "Stays-At-Home" series. Stay tuned for more installments!
In case you missed earlier posts of SunStar "Stays-At-Home:"