(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Thank you for reading and taking part in this Interactive Story.
This interactive story is based on our personal experiences in the Covid-19 Pandemic, thus, it might be different from your experiences. By reading the story, you can take a glimpse into our daily lives. You will experience a unique story based on their interactions with the story world.
Let me warn you, it is a normal weekday, nothing fancy or very entertaining. But I thought it could still be fun to share it since we found that different people have different lifestyles and daily routines. Thus, by playing the different characters and choosing different options, you might find out that livestyles and daily routines will be completely different depending on who you are (single man, single women, father or mother).
[[Anyways, Hope you find it interesting!]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[I’m a
[[Single male]]
[[Single female]]
[[Father with a 1-year-old baby]]
[[Student mama story]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. My alarm clock starts beeping at 10am and I groan and try to imagine that it isn't there.
[[Wake up anyways and start the day early]].
or Ignore the alarm and [[grasp some more sleep]].]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. My alarm clock starts beeping at 10am and I groan and try to imagine that it isn't there.
[[Wake up anyways and start the day early]].
or Ignore the alarm and [[grasp some more sleep]].]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. My alarm clock starts beeping and I groan and try to imagine that it isn't there.But the baby was also woken up by the alarm clock and he started crying…
[[Wake up and take care of our baby.]]
[[I want to sleep some more. So I just let my wife take care of our baby. ]]](text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It's 4.30 am in the morning, I sat on the bed and still could feel tiredness on my body. It feels like my [[sleeping]] tonight, and the other nights are still not enough to treat body aches. Well, tonight as usual, my 11 months old baby daughter woke up crying because she was hungry.
Choices:
[[Sleep again]]
[[Going to the bathroom]]
(Research from Sleep Junkie shows that before having a baby, as many as 68% of respondents can sleep for 7+ hours. However, after having a baby, only 10% of parents can sleep ideally (7+ hours). (https://www.sleepjunkie.com/new-parents-and-sleep/)
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Come one, it’s Saturday.. Lets’s [[grasp some more sleep]].]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[My eyes slowly fluttered open. I glance at the alarm clock, it’s 12. Maybe it’s time to wake up since I’m hungry. For today’s lunch, I should have some:
[[microwave some instant food]]
[[delivery food]]
or just [[cook myself a meal]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It's actually nice to have some instant food sometimes. I mean, it's easy, and it's ready in like 5 sec!!! The burger is not bad, and I enjoyed it.
[[yummy]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[I ordered some Thai food for today's lunch. Although it was a little bit pricy, it was sooooo goood.
[[yummy]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Let’s just keep it easy and make myself a pasta. It’s healthy and easy to make.
[[yummy]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It was a great meal. Since it’s Saturday, I have no school or work today. Let me just take the rest. Maybe I should have some plan… What should I do next?
[[watch a movie]]
[[play video games]]
or [[read a book]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[The movie was great!
[[time flies]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[I just love playing video games!
[[time flies]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Oppps, I don’t have any books at home. Actually, reading a book is not in my plan.
I’m just going to [[watch a movie]] or [[play video games]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[My eyes got a little tired since I stared at the screen the whole afternoon…. It’s 7 and I’m hungry again. It’s time to eat dinner.
[[let's have some leftovers from lunch:) it tastes good tho.]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After dinner, What should I do next?
[[clean my room since it’s messy]]
or [[kept doing what I did before dinner]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[My room is clean now and I feel great. Maybe I should sleep early today. I will just watch tiktok for 10 mins and go to bed..
Watch tiktok for 10 min is just impossible. Well, it’s 1 am. I have to sleep now.
and yep, [[it was a typical weekend in my life]]. ]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Opps, it’s 1am. It’s time to sleep.
and yep, [[it was a typical weekend in my life]]. ]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Maybe try out another character to experience different life?
[[Single male]]
[[Single female]]
[[Father with a 1-year-old baby]]
[[Student mama story]]](text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[I get out of the bed and hold the baby in my arms. To let my wife sleep a little more, I should try my best to let our baby stop crying by_______.
[[Diaper change]]
[[Give him a pacifier]]
[[Sing him a lullaby]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[I had only been asleep for a while when my wife woke me up gently with the baby in her arms, wanting me to look after the baby, I said:
[["I'm really tired, can't you look after him yourself?"]]
or [["I got up reluctantly and muttered that I couldn't get enough sleep on the weekend"]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It works, the baby has finally stopped crying. Baby seems hungry, maybe I should:
[[how to make a bottle of formula for newborn]]
[[wake up my wife to feed our baby]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It works, the baby has finally stopped crying. Baby seems hungry, maybe I should:
[[how to make a bottle of formula for newborn]]
[[wake up my wife to feed our baby]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It works, the baby has finally stopped crying. Baby seems hungry, maybe I should:
[[how to make a bottle of formula for newborn]]
[[wake up my wife to feed our baby]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After feeding the baby the formula, I put him in the baby chair and gave him one of his favorite toys. The baby seems happy now.
Seeing my wife sleeping, I realized that maybe I should [[making our breakfast.]]
So I left the bedroom to let her sleep a little more then heading to the kitchen.]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Seeing my wife dragging her tied body out of bed, I gave her a morning kiss and whispered to her “Good morning honey, you must be so tired to put our baby to sleep last night.”
By saying that, I realized that maybe I should [[making our breakfast.]]
So I left the bedroom to let her sleep a little more then heading to the kitchen.]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[When breakfast was ready, I woke my wife up to have breakfast. After breakfast, my wife got up and tried to wash the dishes. I stopped her by saying “I look tired, just leave the dishes to me.” My wife smiled and said “awww, that is so sweet. Thank you darling.”
After I finished the dishes, I asked my wife to take care of our baby since I was going to [[finish some of my work]].
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Then, it was lunch time. My wife is cooking our lunch in the kitchen as well as preparing the baby food for our son. Thus, I need to take care of our son to make sure everything is fine.
After having our lunch and feeding our baby son, the baby fell in sleep again which is great for us to have some time. Just two of us;) You know, time for only the two of us is precious when you have a baby at home. What should we do?
[[watch a movie together]]
[[play games together]]
[[take a nap together]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It was a great movie.
[[Time flies. The baby is crying again… The sound of crying brings us back to our reality. So my wife put our son in her arms and calmed the baby from crying. ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It was fun.
[[Time flies. The baby is crying again… The sound of crying brings us back to our reality. So my wife put our son in her arms and calmed the baby from crying. ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[It was nice.
[[Time flies. The baby is crying again… The sound of crying brings us back to our reality. So my wife put our son in her arms and calmed the baby from crying. ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Later, my wife asked me what we should have for dinner? I answered:
[[Maybe just the leftovers from lunch.]]
[[I will eat whatever you make!]]
[[Make it easy, let’s order a pizza]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After dinner, our baby seemed tired, so my wife went to put him to sleep.
And after the baby fell asleep, we had some wine together, chatted for a while, and went to bed together.
[[And that was a typical weekend in my life.]] ]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After dinner, our baby seemed tired, so my wife went to put him to sleep.
And after the baby fell asleep, we had some wine together, chatted for a while, and went to bed together.
[[And that was a typical weekend in my life.]] ]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After dinner, our baby seemed tired, so my wife went to put him to sleep.
And after the baby fell asleep, we had some wine together, chatted for a while, and went to bed together.
[[And that was a typical weekend in my life.]] ]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Maybe try out another character to experience different life?
[[Single male]]
[[Single female]]
[[Father with a 1-year-old baby]]
[[Student mama story]]](text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))["Lunch is ready", I opened my eyes again, and it turned out that my wife had already made lunch and was waiting for me. After the lunch, I decided to have some time by myslef. I should...
[[Watching a football game]],
[[Playing video games with friends]],
or [[Doing some work]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
[[ Hearing baby's crying and wife's nagging made me feel very agitated. Since I have to stay at home during the lockdown made me feel worse. So I quarreled with my wife, and we didn't talk with each other for the rest of the day. ]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After a while, the baby was crying agian.
I should go and take care of our son, but I didn't want to stop watching the game...
[[Maybe my wife will take care of it. ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After a while, the baby was crying agian.
I should go and take care of our son, but I didn't want to stop playing the game...
[[Maybe my wife will take care of it. ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[After a while, the baby was crying agian.
I should go and take care of our son, but I didn't want to stop doing the work...
[[Maybe my wife will take care of it. ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[However, my wife was in the toilet and she asked me to go and see the baby, so I decided to…
[[Get up and look after the child]]
[[ hands baby a toy]]
[[do nothing. just wait for my wife to take care of the baby]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Finally, The baby stopped crying.
I went back into the room to continue with my thing with my headphones on from the distractions...
[[time passing...]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Finally, The baby stopped crying.
I went back into the room to continue with my thing with my headphones on from the distractions...
[[time passing...]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[When the mother came out of the toilet and found out that I’m not taking care of the baby, she sighed silently with disappointment and went to look after the baby by herself.
[[time passing...]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Later, when it was time for dinner, my wife said she was too tired for making the dinner and suggest me to cook. However, I'm also too lazy to cook. So I said:
[[let's order some dlivery food]]
[[Sorry, I don't feel to cook, too]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[[[She refused to have the delivery food and suggested that we should have the leftovers from lunch. I have no appetite at all by looking at those leftovers on the table… ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[[[Then, she suggested that we should have the leftovers from lunch. I have no appetite at all by looking at those leftovers on the table…]]](text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Maybe try out another character to experience different life?
[[Single male]]
[[Single female]]
[[Father with a 1-year-old baby]]
[[Student mama story]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[[[After dinner, I continued with some of my work, and my wife seems busy with taking care of the baby.]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[[[After dinner, I continued with some of my work, and my wife seems busy with taking care of the baby.]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[At night, I went to the bed to play with my phone a bit and slowly fell asleep…
I vaguely heard my wife entering the room which woke me up. I got annoyed by the sound, but I didn’t say anything but tried to fall asleep again.
[[And that was a day in my life. ]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Maybe try out another character to experience different life?
[[Single male]]
[[Single female]]
[[Father with a 1-year-old baby]]
[[Student mama story]]]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Research from Sleep Junkie shows that before having a baby, as many as 68% of respondents can sleep for 7+ hours. However, after having a baby, only 10% of parents can sleep ideally (7+ hours). (https://www.sleepjunkie.com/new-parents-and-sleep/)
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[My eyes are too heavy to open. It feels like this warm blanket was too comfortable for me to take off. I think.. I will [[close my eyes]] for another 5 minutes.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[I go to the bathroom to take [[ablution]]. The cold water of ablution cools my body, and refreshes the eyes that were still sleepy.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
My consciousness on dreamland instantly disappeared when my husband shake my legs without a word. He always do that as a code to wake me up for congregational morning worship.
"Alhamdulillah, my husband wake me up!". As Muslims, we have to perform prayers, because leaving [[prayer]] considered as major sins.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
[[For Muslims, every day we have to pray 5 times at Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha'. There are several essences of prayer that Muslims can feel; light exercise, increased focus, right brain imagination development, time management, and efforts to give thanks to the Almighty God, Allah. God does not need our “prayer”, it is human who gains benefit from prayer.]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
After ablution, I rushed to the worship room to perform [[prayer]] with my husband.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
After finishing our morning worship, we now will have our breakfast. The menu that we are eating this morning is a leftover meals from yesterday's cooking. Fried chicken with tomato sauce, stir-fried broccoli and carrots, and liwet rice.
"Ah, I miss Indonesian cuisine," I said to myself.
While enjoying breakfast at the dining table while joking, my husband suddenly [[asked]] me.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
[[“Honey, what are your plans for today? Looks like I will be busy today. There will be a supervisory meeting with my Professor at 9 AM. After that, in the afternoon I had to go to the University of Leeds Library to continue working on my paper. I just can not focus on work at home, there are too many distractions." ]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
[[I was silent.]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
“Ah, yes, I'm flexible with my schedule, my dear. That's okay. Well, my schedule is as usual, preparing Qiana's food, feeding Qiana, bathing Qiana, taking care of and playing with her", I said.
Well, domestic work, especially [[childcare]] , can really absorb a lot of time on one day, from morning to morning.
[[It’s a day and night chores!]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Based on research, women tend to be more flexible and are more willing to be charged with domestic work, especially regarding childcare rather than men.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
"Then how about the progress of your assignments?", said my husband.
"Still not much. Every time I tried to open my laptop, Qiana would always try to grab it. I can't focus on writing,” I complained to my husband.
This time it is my husband who is silent.
"I'm sorry, I'll try to finish my assignments as quickly as possible, so we can take turns looking after Qiana and you can focus on writing again," said the husband.
[[I replied with a smile. "Yes, we can do it, sweetheart!", I answered excitedly.]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
The clock shows 10 am and the husband is rushing to go to the library. In our bedroom, Qiana just woke up and crying because there was no one beside her. It does not take long time for me to then walk towards the room quickly to [[carry and kiss her]].
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
From the morning to the evening, I am still struggling with domestic tasks, especially childcare work. One of the biggest challenges at home is when it comes to cooking while babysitting.
For example, one day my hands were scalded with hot water because I panicked when I heard my child cry or when my eyes had to be splashed with lemon water because I had to cook while holding her.
[["Beep"]] suddenly my cellphone shows a notification.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Ah, it turned out to be a reminder message about my assignment’s [[deadline]] that I still haven't had time to do.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
My chest feels beating so fast, day after day has passed, but still, I can't finish all of my college assignments. I feel quite sad and stress.
I take a [[breath]], for a moment.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
It's getting late, it's time for Qiana to have dinner. However, since her teeth are growing, she is a little fussy. Not so many food can enter his little stomach, the rest, scattered on the floor and becoming the object of her toy.
The house is a mess, and my hands are still busy trying to [[feed her]].
"Ding dong" Suddenly the house bell is ringing and my husband come home
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Tonight, I saw my daughter’s face, so tiny and beautiful, and she is sleeping soundly now. I feel calm. Before going to sleep, my mind [[wanders]].
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Why should I always be flexible at home and succumb to my husband? Why am I not like other feminist activists who advocate for gender equality? Why am I not entitled to have the same opportunities to access a fair amount of study and work time with my husband? [[Why?]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Indeed, most other women would protest and perhaps, get angry, if they were treated unequally to their partners. However, what I feel is quite [[different]].
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[A simple analogy, if a house needs to be cared for, of course, the maintenance doesn't only focus on what's inside the house, but also needs maintenance on the outside. Then, what does it [[mean]]?
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
If the husband focuses on working and earning money for the family outside the house, then the wife should focus and keep the house calm in the inside. If both are too focused on activities outside the home, this place will not become a conducive and safe place. As a consequence, the [[children]] are becoming victims.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
In the first years of their life, children need a fully loving parents who always on her side. For them, the presence of their parents is important. I would never want to pawn the future of my children just to put my [[personal ego]] and work outside the home full time.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
In Islam, women's nature is to look after the house, they are not required to work and earn money. However, this does not mean that Islam is degrading women and oppressing them. On the contrary, their position is very [[special]] in Islam.
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Maybe, a song lyric from Yusuf Islam that entitled [[“Your Mother”]] will best describe what makes a mother special.
](text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[
Your Mother
By Yusuf Islam
(https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/catstevens/yourmother.html )
"The Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) told us that we must obey Allah and His messenger at all times. But who else did he tell us to listen to, and be close to?"
"My Mother!"
Who should you give your love to? Your respect and your honor to? Who should you pay good mind to after Allah and Rasulullah?
“Comes your Mother”
Who next?
“Your Mother”
Who next?
“Your Mother”
And then your Father.
[[-the end-]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[The first story you are going to experience is from V, who is a muslim from Indonisia, a mother of a 11-month-child, and also a MA student studying at University of Leeds.
[[Student mama story]]
](text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Maybe try out another character to experience different life?
[[Single male]]
[[Single female]]
[[Father with a 1-year-old baby]]
]
(text-colour:#212529)+(bg:(hsl:210,0.1667,0.9765,0.5))[Maybe try out another character to experience different life?
[[Single male]]
[[Single female]]
[[Father with a 1-year-old baby]]
[[Student mama story]]]