Combating coronavirus: Stranded in US, expat celebrates Easter virtually with family in Dubai

Dubai-based Brazilian expat Fabio Medeiros is stuck in Houston, Texas, due to Covid-19-related travel restrictions. But he still managed to celebrate Easter with his family in Dubai thousands of kilometres away - virtually.
Keeping the festive spirit alive, Medeiros planned a surprise for his family. He ordered a traditional Easter lunch to be delivered to his family and celebrated the festival with them on Zoom.
"It's that time of the year, when everyone is usually home with their families. While I am stranded abroad and miss my family and the city I've called home since 2008, it's unavoidable not to feel down. I am in a temporary accommodation here, 13,000km away and this situation is not easy. Loneliness haunts you, more so because you don't know what to expect. Everything is unpredictable at the moment," said Medeiros.
He said he is in constant touch with his family virtually. "Seeing them cooking and hanging out in the garden or even watching them complain about one another lifts my mood. But my wife is a rockstar, managing distance learning alone with both our kids and keeping them busy all the time is indeed commendable ."
Waiting eagerly for her husband's return who's now been away for a month, Medeiros' wife Carol Oliveira explained how tough it is for her younger son. "All this was unexpected. My seven-year-old doesn't understand why daddy has been away for so long. I feel emotionally, as a family, there is a whole lot to deal with."
The surprise treat did lift their spirits up, she said.
New Year celebrations go online
Facing a similar predicament is Dubai resident Supriya Sharma, who is currently stuck in New Delhi, India, while her family is in the UAE. Though separated, the family will celebrate the Hindu New Year of Vaisakhi together virtually on Tuesday.
Sharma is fervently praying to be reunited with her husband and sons. Fighting back tears, Sharma told Khaleej Times over the phone: "It's festival time, and I am missing my kids so much. I haven't seen them in a month. My six-year-old son breaks down when we meet on video calls."
Sharma had travelled to Ahmedabad in India to visit her brother who was undergoing a critical kidney transplant surgery. Her return plans did not work out after travel was suspended. "I had checked into the flight on March 19, but as I was standing in the queue, the immigration informed us that from that very hour, all flights to the UAE were suspended. I was so close to coming home, yet so far."
Sharma then travelled to New Delhi to check with the UAE Embassy how she could travel back. That's when India imposed a total lockdown. "I have emailed the ministry concerned in India and called on the hotline, but to no avail. In Dubai, my husband Kunal is struggling alone with the two kids."
She is now looking forward to celebrate the festival with her family virtually.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com