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A deserted fruit stand in Wuhan, China. Photo by @ellinnurbakarudin via Twenty20
From Wuhan to New York City: A coronavirus story
When Austen Sun first received a call at 7 a.m. from a concerned friend, he wasn’t quite aware that the city he was in had gone into lockdown.
Sun, a first generation Chinese Australian, and his family had flown to Wuhan to visit his ageing grandparents just a few days before the city completely shut its borders.
“I didn’t think it was going to happen before I got there, because obviously, this has never happened in the history of modern China,” Sun said.
Dating during a pandemic
Single for more than four years, Alexa Dicken, 25, was determined live life outside her comfort zone. So, dressed in a classic 90’s look–red mesh skirt with a black tank—she nervously walked into a trendy bowling alley in Times Square for a meetup event. Alone.
She was assigned to a group with Sarah Weinflash, a 26-year-old production staff at a theatre company, and a few of her friends. Weinflash caught Dicken’s attention immediately.
“I thought she was kind of cute,” Dicken said. She began to make conversation with Weinflash and realized they had a lot in common. But their brief interaction was cut short when they were assigned to different bowling lanes for the rest of the night. Occasionally smiling and waving when they made eye contact, they never connected again because Weinflash had to leave early for work.
Dating has changed during the pandemic. Photo by @natabene via Twenty20
Katie Woods says having a dating app specifically made for dog owners and lovers can help eliminate people who are not truly passionate about dogs. Photo by Bessie Liu
A dating app for dog lovers
As dating apps become a more widespread way to find love, finding a partner who is equally as enthusiastic about the four-legged furry companion becomes more important to dog owners.
Leigh Isaacson, Co-Founder and CEO of Dig, was inspired to build a dating app that connects fellow dog lovers with one another after her younger sister’s failed relationship with her non-dog loving partner.
“My sister was dating a guy who tried to be a dog person for her, but by the end of the relationship he didn’t want the dog in the apartment, and if he did, he would put towels down on the couch, so the dog didn’t touch anything,” Isaacson said. “She realized two things, not only was this bad for a long-term relationship for her, but the dog itself was getting left at home.”