July 23, 2020 A COVID-19 Series: Checking in on dimkadimon in Australia

Over the next few weeks, we will bring you some interviews with members from across the globe checking in on their personal COVID-19 situation in their area. First up is dimkadimon, our community team marathon match evangelist from Australia.

Where are you from and what is the Covid situation in your country right now?
I am from Australia. Currently we have 11,000 cases and 116 deaths. We have done well relative to other nations. Most of our states have started opening up (restaurants, bars, gyms, cinemas). However, one state has recently started reporting an influx of new cases. Now the whole country is worried that we could get a second wave of cases.

What were the major changes/challenges in your daily life during this crisis? (As pertaining to work, family, free time, etc.)
I had to organise my office at home. I bought a big desk, cleared a bedroom and brought some extra equipment from work. Now it is quite nice to work at home, but I am not very productive here – there are always many distractions and house duties to do. I also had to find a good way to communicate with my colleagues. We use WhatsApp for quick messages and other tools for virtual meetings. My family has been supportive through all this. I now have a lot more free time.

Is your work at home life affected by any family members living at home? Spouse, children, pets?
I don’t have kids, but my dog can be quite noisy 🙂

Did you discover any new hobby/ passion during this period?
I discovered that I have more time to create puzzles and Topcoder problems. I even wrote my own little puzzle game: https://dimkadimon.github.io/2048Multi/

Was there a place you planned to travel that you couldn’t make it to?
I was planning to visit my grandparents in Russia around June/July. But now I 

have to wait for the situation to improve before I can see them again.

Did you use your experience as a remote worker to help others (friends, family) to cope with the new reality?
My family has coped well with remote work and didn’t really need my help.

What did you learn during Covid that will improve your life after?
I learned the importance of having good support from friends and family. I also learned that sometimes it is good to slow things down from the usual crazy pace. This gives you time to think, reflect and plan ahead. These skills are important. I found that working from home can have nice benefits and I hope to do it more often even after Covid finishes.

How do you think the future will change after Covid ends at a global level?              
This is the million dollar question that no one can answer right now. I think such pandemics will become more common and people will be better prepared to deal with them in the future. Working from home will become more common and there will be less importance to having a physical office. Communication platforms will improve to support such work. Authorities will learn to deal with such pandemics more swiftly and efficiently – faster response times, clearer guidance, more testing, more support to the poor and more money to health services. These events can also lead to countries being more independent and less reliant on international trade. I am also hoping that these events will push us towards cleaner energy sources like battery-powered cars.

Join us next time for an interview with [ handle ] in [ country ]. Want to share your status? Chat here.