Dublin Core
Title
Oral History Interview with Alara Demirag, an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto
Description
Alara Demirag is an undergraduate student in the architectural department of the University of Toronto. I interviewed her on October 2, via phone. She was in her internship office, and I was visiting her. I verbally asked her questions to which she answered rapidly.
Creator
Can Eker
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Can Eker
Interviewee
Alara Demirag
Location
Istanbul, Turkey
Transcription
An Oral History Interview with Alara Demirag
Can Eker: Hello! I am here today with Alara Demirag, an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Department of Architecture. Today I will be asking her questions regarding her first days of the pandemic. Alara hello!
Alara: Hello
Can Eker: How are you?
Alara Demirag: Good! thank you.
Can Eker: Please tell me about your first days experiences. What did you think of when this outbreak started to circulate in the news what was your initial reaction?
Alara Demirag: At first I didn't care that much. I assumed that it was going to be similar to a cold. I had a flight scheduled in mid-March and during the first week of March I had classes, and than afterwards things started to change as classes surprisingly became online.
Can Eker: You mentioned to me that you took a flight from Toronto to Istanbul. Can you please tell me about your flight experience? How was it like? Please also tell us about the level of your paranoia.
Alara Demirag: In general, I am an anxious person. When I first heard about the virus my parents called me and said "you need to come back to Turkey, you need to be with us. We will support you emotionally." I thought it would be better for me to stay here(Toronto) because there were less cases in Toronto. I was not sure what to expect in Turkey. My roommate said that she was going to go back and that I said to myself that I will go back as well. So we booked a flight with her immediately. First we had to find masks, so I went to the pharmacy but I was not able to find masks and than I asked my friend and she brought me a spare surgical mask and gave it to me.
Can Eker: What about your experience in the airport prior to your departure and upon your arrival? Were you afraid to stand to close to other passengers with the fear of contracting a virus that was unknown to you at the time. Please tell us about your experience in both airports.
Alara Demirag: I wore two masks to make it overprotective. One was a white surgical mask and the other was a black one. I disinfected my hands all the time with a pocket size hand sanitizer. Of course we had to eat something in the plane because it was a long fight. It was an 8-9 hour flight but I was paranoid. I didn't know what to do. Some people were coughing. I kept worrying over and over again. I started to meditate.
Can Eker: Did you pray?
Alara Demirag: I didn't but I meditated. I closed my eyes for 20 minutes and repeated it over and over again. I was scared because we were breathing the same air inside the plane and there were a-lot of people.
Can Eker Now please tell me about what happened when you came home. Did you stay home? Were you following the advices that the tv channels were giving you? Did you step out? If so what was your reaction to seeing people with surgical masks?
Alara Demirag: So my flight was in March 12, in the next day there was a flight to Istanbul but the thing is the government announced the 14-day quarantine rule. New arrivers had to isolate themselves. I did not come across to that situation because I was lucky enough to arrive a day early than the enacted rule. There was a direct message sent to my phone which explained that it would be best to isolate myself for at least a week. When I arrived home I was trying to stay distant from my parents. I tried the best. The next day, when I heard about my friends experience I was scared. She was taken in for quarantine.
Can Eker: I want to know about your view on how the government responded to this situation. When you were in Canada how did your government take actions to battle agains this virus? How would you compare that to the actions that the government of Turkey made? What are some of the similarities and differences?
Alara Demirag: In Canada they closed the borders. Canada wanted its traveling citizens to return home immediately so that they were well protected. Canada wanted its citizens to stay safe. The isolation period was longer in Canada. Everything went online as the Canadian government acted faster to tackle the coronavirus.
Can Eker How did the virus effect your studies? Was the virtual education helpful to you? Was it non-efficient when compared to actual in person learning? What are your observations?
Alara Demirag: It is my last term before graduation. So I said I can get over it. As classes are remote, it can definitely be an advantage for me. I was more worried about the severity of the virus as I kept thinking about it. Online learning was easier for me because everything was prepared in my computer. However, if I wanted to talk with my professor it was hard. I also had difficulties communicating with my friends.
Can Eker: Tell me about your research. When you first started to hear about this virus. Where did you consult the information from and also what were the first things you heard about this virus
Alara Demirag: So I talked with my family doctor. She is a very nice lady and she attends tv shows regularly. She is deeply concerned with the emotional effects of the virus. When I talked with her she said that this virus is genetically coded. First it effects the sinus area. It than effects the way you breathe as it becomes harder. Its important to maintain a string immune system. I was always talking with her . She said that the media makes a major deal about it.
Can Eker: I want to ask you about the misperceptions that you might have had regarding the virus. Obviously when the news were initially circulating about this virus there were also rumors and untrue statements about the virus. What did you think? What expectations did you have from the virus depending on what you heard from other people and news?
Alara Demirag: There were a lot of misperceptions. It seemed like a conspiracy theory. I was not sure. I started to care about my health more. There were even rumors claiming that Bill Gates started the virus. There was another rumor in which the virus was purposefully created to decrease the excessive population and it was a project of major countries.
Can Eker: With all honesty, I want to know if you were more cautious to the virus in your initial phases or now, as you know more about the virus, and its deadly effects.
Alara Demirag. Before as I said I was not cautious about the virus. I panicked after places started to close. Now I am more stressed. Because I am more aware of the health defects. A lot of information about the symptoms are clear.
Can Eker: Alara I want to thank you for the interview and I hope you stay safe.
Alara Demirag: You too! stay safe as well.
Can Eker: Hello! I am here today with Alara Demirag, an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Department of Architecture. Today I will be asking her questions regarding her first days of the pandemic. Alara hello!
Alara: Hello
Can Eker: How are you?
Alara Demirag: Good! thank you.
Can Eker: Please tell me about your first days experiences. What did you think of when this outbreak started to circulate in the news what was your initial reaction?
Alara Demirag: At first I didn't care that much. I assumed that it was going to be similar to a cold. I had a flight scheduled in mid-March and during the first week of March I had classes, and than afterwards things started to change as classes surprisingly became online.
Can Eker: You mentioned to me that you took a flight from Toronto to Istanbul. Can you please tell me about your flight experience? How was it like? Please also tell us about the level of your paranoia.
Alara Demirag: In general, I am an anxious person. When I first heard about the virus my parents called me and said "you need to come back to Turkey, you need to be with us. We will support you emotionally." I thought it would be better for me to stay here(Toronto) because there were less cases in Toronto. I was not sure what to expect in Turkey. My roommate said that she was going to go back and that I said to myself that I will go back as well. So we booked a flight with her immediately. First we had to find masks, so I went to the pharmacy but I was not able to find masks and than I asked my friend and she brought me a spare surgical mask and gave it to me.
Can Eker: What about your experience in the airport prior to your departure and upon your arrival? Were you afraid to stand to close to other passengers with the fear of contracting a virus that was unknown to you at the time. Please tell us about your experience in both airports.
Alara Demirag: I wore two masks to make it overprotective. One was a white surgical mask and the other was a black one. I disinfected my hands all the time with a pocket size hand sanitizer. Of course we had to eat something in the plane because it was a long fight. It was an 8-9 hour flight but I was paranoid. I didn't know what to do. Some people were coughing. I kept worrying over and over again. I started to meditate.
Can Eker: Did you pray?
Alara Demirag: I didn't but I meditated. I closed my eyes for 20 minutes and repeated it over and over again. I was scared because we were breathing the same air inside the plane and there were a-lot of people.
Can Eker Now please tell me about what happened when you came home. Did you stay home? Were you following the advices that the tv channels were giving you? Did you step out? If so what was your reaction to seeing people with surgical masks?
Alara Demirag: So my flight was in March 12, in the next day there was a flight to Istanbul but the thing is the government announced the 14-day quarantine rule. New arrivers had to isolate themselves. I did not come across to that situation because I was lucky enough to arrive a day early than the enacted rule. There was a direct message sent to my phone which explained that it would be best to isolate myself for at least a week. When I arrived home I was trying to stay distant from my parents. I tried the best. The next day, when I heard about my friends experience I was scared. She was taken in for quarantine.
Can Eker: I want to know about your view on how the government responded to this situation. When you were in Canada how did your government take actions to battle agains this virus? How would you compare that to the actions that the government of Turkey made? What are some of the similarities and differences?
Alara Demirag: In Canada they closed the borders. Canada wanted its traveling citizens to return home immediately so that they were well protected. Canada wanted its citizens to stay safe. The isolation period was longer in Canada. Everything went online as the Canadian government acted faster to tackle the coronavirus.
Can Eker How did the virus effect your studies? Was the virtual education helpful to you? Was it non-efficient when compared to actual in person learning? What are your observations?
Alara Demirag: It is my last term before graduation. So I said I can get over it. As classes are remote, it can definitely be an advantage for me. I was more worried about the severity of the virus as I kept thinking about it. Online learning was easier for me because everything was prepared in my computer. However, if I wanted to talk with my professor it was hard. I also had difficulties communicating with my friends.
Can Eker: Tell me about your research. When you first started to hear about this virus. Where did you consult the information from and also what were the first things you heard about this virus
Alara Demirag: So I talked with my family doctor. She is a very nice lady and she attends tv shows regularly. She is deeply concerned with the emotional effects of the virus. When I talked with her she said that this virus is genetically coded. First it effects the sinus area. It than effects the way you breathe as it becomes harder. Its important to maintain a string immune system. I was always talking with her . She said that the media makes a major deal about it.
Can Eker: I want to ask you about the misperceptions that you might have had regarding the virus. Obviously when the news were initially circulating about this virus there were also rumors and untrue statements about the virus. What did you think? What expectations did you have from the virus depending on what you heard from other people and news?
Alara Demirag: There were a lot of misperceptions. It seemed like a conspiracy theory. I was not sure. I started to care about my health more. There were even rumors claiming that Bill Gates started the virus. There was another rumor in which the virus was purposefully created to decrease the excessive population and it was a project of major countries.
Can Eker: With all honesty, I want to know if you were more cautious to the virus in your initial phases or now, as you know more about the virus, and its deadly effects.
Alara Demirag. Before as I said I was not cautious about the virus. I panicked after places started to close. Now I am more stressed. Because I am more aware of the health defects. A lot of information about the symptoms are clear.
Can Eker: Alara I want to thank you for the interview and I hope you stay safe.
Alara Demirag: You too! stay safe as well.