Author Archives: azahar

yeah, one of THOSE days

03 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, sevilla, spain

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Had to go out for a rubbish dump run and decided – fuck it – I’d also make a quick trip to the supermarket (last one had been ten days previously). As I’ve said before, these days it feels like I’m dodging bullets at the supermarket, even though they are giving us plastic gloves while we’re there and (most) people now know to stay a hockey stick apart. But I just “needed” (okay, wanted) a few fresh things.

Anyhow, as soon as I hit the street with my trolley and a few bags of rubbish my street guy Nico (yep he’s still out there every day) saw me and came rushing over. At first I thought he was going to ask for some money, and nothing wrong with that, but he actually asked if he could help me carry my rubbish to the bins. Awwww… well obviously for money but at least he wanted to “work” for it. Let’s just say that Nico doesn’t really get the “keep two metres away” thing so I thanked him, said I was fine, and that I’d see him on my way home from shopping, after I’d had time to sort out some cash for him.

Noticed that El Corte Inglés is even more vigilent these days, or else it was a busier time of day than last time, as there was a queue outside with everyone standing 2 metres apart. When it was my turn I went in, started shopping and then started to cry. Maybe in part because such a “normal” routine had become, well, what it is now. But it actually started after I bought some swordfish from the fish guy, who was so lovely and pleasant. And I looked around and saw all the staff stocking shelves and being helpful and I looked at all the fresh produce still available and that’s when I lost it.

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it’s just a cold, right?

02 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, health & happiness, home, hope

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Exactly three weeks ago today I woke up to birdsong in the lovely guesthouse next to Bodegas Bentomiz. I also woke up with a killer sore throat that felt like I was swallowing shards of glass. Another cold? Or was it that virus we’d been hearing about? This was two days before the national lockdown so most of us still had little idea how serious the situation actually was. Anyhow, since then this “cold” has persisited, and has been having quite the journey, visiting various parts of my body. The sore throat morphed into a very sneezy sinus thing with blocked ears and tinnitus, loss of sense of smell and taste, back to the throat, then a cough (not a dry one!) with slight tightness in the chest, then whatever. I can’t remember all the pitstops it’s made. Anyhow… IT’S STILL WITH ME.

But this morning was the first time I worried because the Throat is back (really ouch!) this time with a very distinct heavy feeling lower down, just below the clavicle, and at this moment I’m not sure if the chest tightness I’m feeling is due to illness or anxiety. Still no fever though so fingers crossed.

Because I always have sinus issues going on it’s not that uncommon for a cold to take root like this and take forever to go away, but this usually happens mid-winter not spring. Meanwhile I’m keeping my hands away from my face as much as possible (seriously, not easy!) and washing the hands way more with each passing day. I’ve also stopped going to the supermarket, with my only outings a quick five minute rubbish dump every 5 days or so. And yet this damn thing persists and keeps upping its game. I’m not kidding guys, if more than a day or so goes by without a post on this silly blog of mine, please get in touch, just in case.

Stay home. Stay safe.

back to the ol’ dishwasher

01 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, home

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For those of you who are new to my blog… yes it really is this boring! There is a reason why I slap something up here every day. And of course now I have no excuses since I’m not exactly busy doing other things. But because I’m not doing other things, obviously there are fewer things going on, and less stuff to write about. But that wont’ stop me.   😉

It’s now midway through week three of lockdown and I am back to using my dishwasher which, after a flurry of renewed activity last summer, slipped back to being just a bit of extra storage space. But I’ve been cooking so much that I can actually justify putting it on every couple of days, the only drawback being that I miss out on some extra handwashing opportunities.

I didn’t realise until now just how much I was eating out in tapas bars and so, along with my tours (which also provide a meal for me), I was only cooking at home maybe a couple times a week. So this has also reminded me of how much I love cooking. It’s become the highlight of my day, though to be honest there’s not a lot of competition in that department.

What’s become the highlight of your day?

lockdown day 17: un día más, un día menos

30 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, home, sevilla

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This is funny even if you don’t know the original quote (but even funnier if you do). So one more day, one day less. I dunno, it’s kind of getting easier in some ways, though I still don’t know how I’m going to pay my rent on Wednesday. Apparently there’s a moratorium on mortgages, but I don’t know if that will trickle down my way. Fingers crossed! And there may be some kind of government assistance, but it’s unclear how self-employed people will benefit. So far it looks like they are offering a small basic amount and then taking half of it back again by continuing to charge us the 300€ a month for social security. As far as I know, regular employees are getting 75% of their usual income. So um… thanks?

Today I sent in my final writing assignment, which I had kept putting off and putting off, until I couldn’t put if off anymore. And I finally know why… at least until now I felt like I had work to do. Feeling a bit bereft at the moment. Not sure what I’ll do tomorrow if I’m not spending the day putting off my writing assignment. What’s going to motivate me to do all those C List activities?

How are you guys holding up?