Tag Archives: corona virus

lockdown day 66

18 Monday May 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, home, lockdown, lockdown sevilla

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People keep asking me how I am holding up during lockdown, am I bored, going stir crazy, am I making plans, making sourdough etc etc.

To be honest I think for the first month I was in a bit of a daze. I didn’t know what was going on and neither did anybody else. And that part actually hasn’t changed. But what has changed, at least for me, is that I feel less of a need to try and do anything about, well, anything. Instead I am observing. Watching and waiting. Because honestly, why waste my energy?

Meanwhile, I do seriously wonder how the hell I ever held down a full time job. Especially as, being freelance, my job was actually 7 days a week. Yeah, not every day all day, but I was pretty much always working, or at least “on call”. And yet I always found time to work, get all the chores done, see friends, do the shopping, keep up with an exercise routine.

But now? It takes me half the day to organise taking out the rubbish and maybe slipping in a quick supermarket run (and this only happens about every ten days or so). And when I am expecting a delivery, that also seems to take up half my day. Can I do a rooftop walk? What if I miss them? Should I time that with hanging up my laundry? I am suddenly overwhelmed.

For example today. I can’t believe it’s already 16.00. ALL I did today was get up, have coffee and breakfast, then did some cleaning up, changed the cat sand. After that my rooftop walk (approx 1 hour). Then I hung up some laundry (big evening activity coming up – changing the bed sheets!)

Meanwhile I will eat my late lunch soon (my one meal of the day), while watching something on Netflix, then possibly have a short accidental siesta in my chair. In between now and bedtime there will be some Instagramming and chatting with friends on Whatsapp, maybe a snack. Then suddenly it will be 23.00 and I’ll wonder where the hell the day went.

Have to say that all during this lockdown time I’ve been frustrated, sad, scared, worried, and have also had times of enjoyment and optimism, meanwhile not sleeping much…  but I haven’t once felt bored. How about you?

lockdown day 55

07 Thursday May 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, home

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The other day I read this article by Madrid No Frills about her experience meeting two people inside their migrant safe house in Lavapiés, and it brought home to me how much of my social media CORONAVIRUS stuff comes from people who are actually doing just fine. Well, other than not being able to go out much. They are healthy and either still have jobs or have their own resources to live on. So on Twitter and Instagram there’s a lot about sourdough and banana bread, seemingly endless garden bbq’s with home deliveries from top end food and wine suppliers. And that’s totally fine, and I really do enjoy seeing all that. BUT…

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today’s rooftop blue

05 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, sevilla, spain

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This makes the (almost) daily “hamster wheel” rooftop walks bearable. That and my music – the antique ipod is still holding up. Though I realised today that my wifi also reaches up here, so I could really listen to anything online. Bonus! Also burning up between 950-1000 calories! Wish I’d have started doing this from day one. And in a couple of weeks I may EVEN start going for walks IN THE STREET.

lockdown day 52 – covidiots

04 Monday May 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, spain

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Since April 26th children under 14 have been “allowed” by the government to be taken outdoors for 1 hour a day, with 1 adult (max 3 kids per parent), and staying within a 1km radius of their homes, at all times respecting the 2 metre social distancing rule. And you can clearly see from the photo above how well that’s going.

Then, as of May 2nd, everyone else was allowed out for an hour a day, to walk or do some other kind of individual sport or exercise. The timetable for this is: ages 14-70 from 6-10am and 8-11pm, ages 70+ (with their carers) and special needs people 10am-12pm and 7-8pm, and kids with parents, same rules as before, from 12-7pm. People who are already living together are allowed to go out together (though how is this enforced?), but you’re not supposed to meet up with friends. And of course you should be RESPECTING SOCIAL DISTANCING. So of course this happened…

I honesty don’t know what the hell is wrong with people, but I’m staying the fuck home. The government clearly doesn’t have a clue what it’s doing, so they are playing dice with our lives to see which way things will go. Even with people still dying every day from the virus. Even though a vaccine is still WAY off in the future. Even though second and third waves have been predicted, almost guaranteed, by many experts. So it’s, hey let’s see what happens if we do a partial “reopening” of society. And these covidiots go out like, well, idiots. Thinking that if the government tells them it’s okay to go out then everything must be fine again. It’s not just that they are putting their own lives at risk, but also everyone else’s. A recent study in Iceland (which has tested almost all of its population by now) showed that at least 50% of those who tested positive for the virus were asymptomatic, but still infectious.

The mind reels.

At this rate the second wave should be happening within a couple of weeks. I’m good with staying in awhile longer. Heck, even for a lot while longer. Since the indoor Red Cross race a couple of weeks ago I’ve been getting up to the rooftop a few times a week to do my STEPS. Not 10,000 like in happier times, but trust me, doing half that in a confined area is boring AF and is really all I can manage. And it’s certainly better than nuthin. Plus, when I realise that 1km from my house only takes me to the Triana bridge or over to the Alameda, what’s the diff? Okay, I feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel, but it’s do-able. Plus I can do it any time I like.

I was wondering if I actually fit into two of the new timetable groups. Obviously I am in the 14-70 age group, but so is also almost everybody. I may also belong to the 70+ and special needs group because of my high-risk status due to previous cancer and chemo, and the auto-immune shit. So I may try it if there is no second wave by mid-May because, not only are the hours better, there will be way fewer covidiots out there. I’m guessing this group will be a lot more cautious.

How’s your lockdown going?