英语访谈节目:疫情期间不一样的互动方式

JUDY WOODRUFF: And now a look at how the coronavirus pandemic has forced people, in a way, to change how they interact with each other, and seek out new ways to connect and to celebrate. Lisa Desjardins has the story.

LISA DESJARDINS: When Berklee Sousa turned 12 last month, a birthday party was out of the question. Her state, California, was under a shelter-in-place order.

HOLLY SOUSA, Mother: She's a kid. She doesn't understand. There was a lot of, I hate everything, and why did it have to be in March, and crying. And she was really just bummed. So we wanted to surprise her with something.

LISA DESJARDINS: So, instead of a party, her mom, Holly, organized a birthday parade. One after another filled with friends and family drove by her Bakersfield home. One even had a special delivery for her: a cake.

HOLLY SOUSA: Thank you, Chelsea.

BERKLEE SOUSA, 12 Years Old: Just to wake up, and then come out front and see all the people come by was really cool, like a really cool experience. And it made me feel a lot better about my birthday.

LISA DESJARDINS: Across the country, parades have also become tools for teachers trying to stay in touch with students while school is closed. They ride in a caravan and wave to families lining the streets. Families are finding new ways to connect with each other as well. Grandfather Dave Schnieders (ph) of Indianapolis visited his 1-year-old grandson, David Drew, through a living room window. Nursing homes are off-limits for most outsiders, so in Middletown, Ohio, Charlie Adams used a bucket truck to visit his 80-year-old mother on the third floor.

DERRICK D-NICE JONES, Celebrity Deejay: Make sure you wash your hands.

LISA DESJARDINS: People are reinventing partying, too. Deejay D-Nice has been spinning records live for people to dance at home, just him, great music and the occasional hat change, sometimes nine hours straight. One virtual party of his drew over 100,000 people, including celebrities.

DERRICK D-NICE: Michelle Obama is in here. Oh, my gosh. Let's go. We are partying right now.

LISA DESJARDINS: On a smaller scale, people are taking their talents to their front porches. Here's a recent classical violin performance for passersby in a Washington, D.C., neighborhood. In Saratoga Springs, Utah, Heather Doney taught a Zumba class for her neighbors from her backyard.

HEATHER DONEY, Utah: There's something about that endorphin rush that you get when you dance, and I think everybody can relate to that. Even if you feel like you can't dance, there's just something about moving that sends those happy endorphins out. And so it's been such a blessing to be able to move again.

LISA DESJARDINS: When we will all be able to move around freely again remains an open question, but for newly turned 12-year-old Berklee Sousa, she's already learned a powerful lesson.

BERKLEE SOUSA: Even though there's a lot of things going on right now in the world, you can still do something to make it better. Not everything can be negative about everything that's going on, and to just stay positive during this.

LISA DESJARDINS: For the PBS NewsHour in Washington, I'm Lisa Desjardins.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And happy birthday to you, Berklee. And, boy, do we now have ideas for how to spend the day. Thank you, all. Thank you, Lisa.