Fary Antonio Maldonado

JL: Today is Thursday, the [July] 16th at one o'clock. OK, so can you please give me your full name.

FM: Fary Antonio Maldonado.

JL : Okay. Thank you. So tell me a little about where you grew up.

FM: I grew up in Dominican Republic. In the Caribbean, and I was there until 12. And then I moved to Puerto Rico, which is right next door until I was 20. And then at 20, I joined the U.S. military.

JL: Okay. What made you want to join the military?

FM: I had like... I wanted to grow up. I wanted to learn any language. I wanted to travel the world, and I wanted to continue my education. So like, that's the only way that I found.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. And where do you live now again?

FM: I live here in O'ahu.

JL: Okay. And do you like living there?

FM: Yes.

JL: Good! And you chose to live there because you're... you're doing your Masters, or is it your PhD?

FM: PhD.

JL: PhD. Okay. So usually before COVID-19, what were the primary things you did on a day to day basis.

FM: The primary things... you know I haven't changed much. It is just like academia going to go... going to campus couple times late in the week and just like going to the gym and and do some entertainment like dancing or playing basketball like that was and that was about it.

JL: Okay. So when you first learned about COVID-19 what did... what were your thoughts on it?

FM: It was a shock. I did... I didn't know what to make of it. It was... I'm sure it happened for everybody. But like, the more I learn about it and the more serious I took. At the beginning it wasn't like that serious to me, but then everybody started talking about it and then things started closing out, and the university, too, so I had to take it seriously after that.

JL: Yeah. Have your thoughts changed about anything since then?

FM: No, I... I took it seriously then and then, I'm still serious now.

JL: What were you most concerned with at the beginning and even now?

FM: At the beginning, it was more the government actions where the government actions were going to be about this and the the ability to travel. Of course, I had a couple trips planned. And as of now it's kind of like the same. I haven't changed my... my worries.

JL: Yeah. Do you still... I mean, before COVID, did you travel a lot? Like did you go back to Puerto Rico and stuff or no?

FM: I will, I will. During the year I will travel at least three to four times.

JL: Oh wow, okay. Has... you're not employed right, you just volunteer?

FM: Yeah, I just volunteer. I was employed in the U.S. military and...

JL: Yes.

FM: I... yeah because of that, and they're kind of like taking care of me while I go to school, in a way.

JL: Oh, OK. With your volunteering, has... has it been... has anything been affected by COVID-19? The way you volunteer?

FM: Yes, I'm not able... well so yes, I don't see the clients anymore but I still go, but the hours have been pretty limited.

JL: OK. And what exactly was it that you did?

FM: I'll help U.S. Veterans go through transition, like life transition. You know, some people are like transitioning from military to civilian. Or some people are like war veterans. And they need to talk to counselor. So I volunteer in that office.

JL: Okay. And are you still volunteering as of now?

FM: Yes.

JL: Okay. With your volunteering in the future, how do you think it affects... how do you think COVID-19 affects that?

FM: Just less face to face contact and more online and telephone.

JL: Okay. And have you been like used to the transition from face to face to online?

FM: Yes. Yes, I have... well, yeah, it's mostly on the phone now. So for me, it's actually make it easier for me because I'm getting better at talking on the phone.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. Has COVID-19, affected the employment of people that you know?

FM: Yeah. Yes. Yes. My mom reduced hours and my brother, he has to be more careful.

JL: Oh okay. What did they... what do they do?

FM: My mom, she's a nurse and my brother, he's a assistant manager at a corporation.

JL: Okay, and they live in... they live where again?

FM: New Jersey.

JL: New Jersey. Okay. So going to your lifestyle, how has COVID-19 affected your day to day activities? Well you said it didn't really change. Are you doing anything new?

FM: Well, yes. Me personally, I when I found out what was going on, I decided to start doing more productive things. So I started to waking up earlier in the morning and I started to do exercise and... so I made like a routine every day. I wake up in the morning, exercise, do meditation, do some yoga and then study, you know like do some exercise on my own and play some basketball, and just clean around the house. And, you know, like... so I was, I basically get more structure to my day to kind of cope with a situation, and it's helping.

JL: That's good. Has COVID-19 affected, you know the way you associate with friends and family.

FM: Yes, I don't see them. [laughing].

JL: Do you talk to them on the phone usually, like Zoom or.

FM: Oh, yes. Yes. So the way that it has changed is that I talk to my mom and I, we used to talk every day, but now it's only on Sundays. Like so I dedicate like a zoom session to talk to my mom, that's new that we never we never did like Zoom before. And because of the situation, we find... at the beginning she was she getting agree with that, she didn't like it, but now I think that she likes it. So yeah it works out.

JL: Yeah. What... what is probably the biggest challenges that you have gone through during this time?

FM: My entertainment activities. I... I used to be more active in regards of entertainment, like socially, because it's only me here in the island. I don't have family here physically present. So I relied a lot on the contact with the friends. But that has been limited so much that I kind of have to go through a process of accepting that, you know, it was only me for a while.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. Let's see. What have you done... well okay we already went through that. How are people around you... When did you move to the island let's start off with that?

FM: 2015.

JL: 2015. OK. Is there a difference in the way that people have responded... Well, yeah. Is there a difference in the way people have responded to the pandemic in Hawai'i than in other places that you have seen?

FM: I, I just see that less... I don't, I don't have any place to compare it with because I've be here the whole time.

JL: Yeah. Yeah.

FM: But what I... what I see is that people are, some people are obeying the rules and regulations established by the government and some people don't.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. Living in Hawaii, you do feel a little bit safer or...?

FM: Way safer. Way more safe than any other place. The climate that I get from other places is really bad compared to what is here.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. And then going back to where you lived before, you said you experienced like natural disasters before, like hurricanes, right?

FM: Yes.

JL: So how has that experience kind of helped you with dealing with COVID?

FM: Oh, yes. Maybe that has something to do with that, I didn't even think about it that way before. Like when the hurricane will come, we will... all the family, we just go in the house for, like the whole weekend or until everything passes and we will just, like, communicate between us. And even if there was no lights on, there was no electricity and there was no phones or anything like that. But we will to talk to each other during that whole time. So maybe maybe I'm doing the same thing that I used to do. [laughing].

JL: How many hurricanes have you gone through? Do you know?

FM: Yeah, like five.

JL: Oh wow that's a lot. Okay. Let's see. Have you seen people around you kind of change their opinions on the response to the pandemic?

FM: Yes, most people around me are really... they haven't been able to keep one mindset about it. They're changing their mindsets like by the week. Like every time that I talk to somebody, they to the person, then they are doing something different that is like off the hook.

JL: OK. Going into news, what are you news... Do you, you know rely heavily on the news, or you kind of just skim it?

FM: You know, even if I... I try not to listen to the news, but somehow it gets to me. So I for some reason I find... I find out everything that's going on, even if I tried to avoid it sometime just because social media or because the e-mails or something. But I do keep up with the news. I have a daily newsletter that I'm subscribed where it gives me the main news, and then I get to click if I want to learn more. So I know the topics. I don't know the specifics about things, but I know the main topics that are going on.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. Any relationships that have changed in a way. I mean, I know you're talking all through, you know, phone and stuff. Have you noticed anything different with your relationships?

FM: Yes, they are... they are really preoccupied about what's going on. It's mainly for financial reasons.

JL: Yeah, yeah. Okay going to health, How... have you or anybody you know have gotten sick?

FM: No, not that I know.

JL: Okay, good. Is it affecting either your or other people's mental health? If you want to talk about that.

FM: Maybe mine, but not in a negative way. Like, my mental health is good. It's better. I think it's better because I'm more aware of what's going on and I'm taking better decision because I have more time for myself right now.

JL: Good! Going back to news, sorry I'm like all over the place, how... have your news sources changed or it's the same from before?

FM: No, it's still, it's still on... well, the only thing that I have... that I noticed that I was watching a little bit more on YouTube, like videos on YouTube.

JL: Okay. Do you think that the news is not covering something enough or is covering something too much?

FM: What was the question, if they're covering something too much?

JL: Yeah, do you think the news or the media is covering something too much or too little?

FM: Oh, yes. Yes, the I... I believe that the count the amount of people who get tested and test positive. I think it's overblown. And I believe that there are some political motivations behind it. I cannot pinpoint anything, but it's just my belief.

JL: Yeah, yeah. Okay. What do you... so what do you think the positive and negative aspects of living on the island is during this time?

FM: Oh, my. They are... the positives are a lot. It's like you're away from the mainland where many things are going on according to the news, cause I don't know. But and also your close to nature, so at least I'm able to like go to the beach or to the water. And then the weather is so nice. Like this is... this is the place to be at right now. (laughs). I don't see any negatives...

JL: Oh sorry go ahead.

FM: Yeah. I don't see any negatives. Like maybe that the... I'm a little bit far away from... from other people, but that's also the positive. So it's like, you know, I don't consider that a negative. It's... right now it's really good that we are kind of like away from the main population.

JL: So usually if I need to go out right now, what do you. You just go out, you know, quick, like if you have to go to the store, you just go out real quick and come back home?

FM: Yes that's... yes, that's what I do. I have the mask ready and I go and I do my shopping for like the week and I come back home. That's, that's my... my doings.

JL: Do you think you're... the community that you live in, or you know as a whole, do you think COVID-19 has been organized? The way people are responding has been organized?

FM: Yes. This community here... I live in Hawaiʻi Kai, and everybody's following like all the protocols.

JL: Okay. Where you live, is there anything that's more unique about the way people are responding to it? You said, people are wearing masks.

FM: People stay more in their place. People stay in their house. They're not interacting too much other than, you know, their own little groups. And people are exercising a lot outside.

JL: Okay. Have you become more aware of you know the island's resources at this time?

FM: Yes.

JL: Okay. Like in what ways do you think? Or do you think there's any changes to you know the way that Hawai'i... you know, the land and stuff like that?

FM: Well, I think just from the perspective of the government helping people, I think there's a lot of resources, and I'm more familiar with that because some part I'm doing like kind of like a research also in COVID-19, and I'm finding out so many resources that the people have. So I think that they're doing a good job on that.

JL: What is your research on right now?

FM: COVID-19 and it's like the impact of COVID-19 on the population.

JL: Oh! So like the same thing. (Laughs)

FM: Yes, exactly the same thing. (Laughs)

JL: Yeah, a lot of people have been doing it because it's a really good you know, you learn a lot from... Are you doing oral history, too, or you're doing it more in a different format?

FM: More on the benefits that the government is providing for their people and how is it affecting the community.

JL: Okay. And is that part of your... part of school or that's like a separate thing?

FM: I volunteer to one research team, one research team was getting together and I want... you know I, because I'm in the PHD I want to have experience. So I volunteer with them about two months ago, and it just happened to be that COVID-19 happened and they started doing something big for the news. So I started helping.

JL: Oh, okay. Good. And then going back to your... because your part of other... Are you part of any other like organizations.

FM: The only organization that I'm part of is the military as a veteran and the University.

JL: Okay, okay. Do you plan on, like, even going back to school next semester?

FM: Yes, I'm already registered. I'm going to school right now too, I'm going to two classes. And then on Fall, I'm also going to school.

JL: Okay. Like on campus you're going to classes in... right now?

FM: I think the... each department is taking their own decisions on how they want to approach it. So my department decided to do it online.

JL; Oh, good. Okay. Let's see, regarding like the stay at home orders and the res... you know, the travel restrictions. How did you feel about all of that when they were starting to start those policies?

FM: I think it was smart.

JL: Yeah. Do you think that Hawai'i took... you know, they were faster with the way that they deployed all these policies?

FM: Yes, I think given the fact that the government you know, there's so many channels that people have to go through. I think that even with that, it was really fast. I heard from people that that the governor was not doing a good job. But I don't know. I think that's the minority. There's a minority of people that think that way. I personally believe that good actions have been taken.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. And then what were you really doing around the time when they started to, you know, shut everything down? What were you doing at that time? Were you in school... you were in school, right?

FM: Yes.

JL: Okay, okay. So now we're going to go to the future. Okay so, has your experience transformed how you think about your family and the community and your friends?

FM: Yes.

JL: In what ways do you think?

FM: So, I mean, it's going to sound weird, but I think that more as an individual now it's like everybody needs to pay more attention to their own lives and continue to get better personally. Because these things can happen at any given time and you need to have like a forté. You need to have a good foundation just in case this happens again or if it happens at a bigger scale. You have to look at. Well, you know, I guess, you have to support yourself. At least me, you know I'm looking from it from my perspective because I cannot look from other people's perspectives. But from my perspective, I need to continue to do good things and to get better as a person and to continue to develop good habits and get better at health and things like that.

JL: Okay, and then the last question. For the future, what do you think that you've learned from this whole experience?

FM: I learned that I am, I can be more self-sufficient. I learned that I don't need to travel all the time. And I learned that I don't need to approach... Many meetings are probably not needed like in any organization like before. Like everybody thought that we needed to meet like three, four times. And there was no, no necessity to meet so much even for classes like classes, we don't need to meet that many times in classes.

JL: Yeah, like three days.

FM: Yeah. A little break just to say, hi, you know or something but like nowadays, technology has revolutionized everything. And I think that everybody's realizing that now. I also got more acquaintance with the online environment. Before it was a little bit scary, but now it's like normal.

JL: Yeah. Yeah. OK, well, thank you so much.