What you recognize when you are video calling all day long

Normally, I keep the two strictly separate. I either call or I see someone. That's how I brushed off one of my best friends when she Facetimed me to show her engagement ring. Awkward. Don't worry, she just tried again (the persistent one) and then I understood it was important and I picked up. Sometimes I make an exception for friends and family abroad, but actually, I prefer to visit them. Until you no longer see anyone and you start doing it too.

Now that I'm homebound, it sounds a bit sexier than when you're applying quarantine, I video call myself the nonsense. On Tuesday, I went for a walk in the woods where I got lost, and to make it less awkward, I called in with colleagues. They laughed at me a lot, which made me feel much better right away. But now that I video call about ten times a day, I'm starting to exhibit and recognize behavior. Odd behavior.

1. I've been to places at colleagues' homes (Kiki Düren!) where I would have preferred never to have been... You?

2. Annabelle wondered if we were wearing pants while facetiming. Now I keep imagining Annabelle walking around her house without pants.

3. I suddenly meet all kinds of new people. For example, I spoke to Lotte's sister, waved at Lilian's boyfriend, met Annick's housemate, and the dachshund of someone else. I didn't know any of them before these times of quarantine.

4. Sometimes I feel more awkward talking through all that video calling than when I see people in the office.

5. How on earth do I turn on the notification for a video call in WhatsApp? Help me.

6. After three days of makeup-free facetiming, I decided to put on some makeup, because: sloppy. The fact that everyone saw this immediately says enough.

7. I sometimes forget that my conference call is still running. You find out after four minutes that Kiki is just peeking into your house.

8. The digital drink is already a success in advance, because everyone is happy with the excuse to drink since just opening the bottle sounds problematic quickly.

9. I've already tried at least five different apps to video call, but I always end up on WhatsApp.

10. And if someone can explain to me how those annoying games on Houseparty work, video call me. My thanks will be great.