Tag Archives: coronavirus

new bumper and belly calls

08 Friday May 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, health & happiness, iphone

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So the bumper I originally bought for my (then new) iPhone X finally bit the dust. And you’d think that, since I seldom leave the house these days, I probably could do without a new one. But you’d be wrong.

I’ve been doing my (almost daily) rooftop walks with the cord thingy that came with the orginal bumper, so I can hang my iPhone around my neck to count my steps (I don’t have a fitbit watch) leaving my hands free to carry my ancient iPod. Apparently I don’t own any clothing with pockets. So not only did I have to replace the bumper, I had to find one that has those two tiny holes on one side to attach the key-ring looking bit, which then clicks onto the other bit on the cord… are you still awake?

So anyhow! I discovered another unexpected feature from carrying my iPhone around my neck, which I tuck inside my top to keep it out of the direct sun when I’m on the roof. I guess you’ve all heard of butt calls by now (more politely known as pocket dialing), when you have your phone in your back pocket and inadvertently call someone after a button or two gets pushed. Well this will never happen to me since, as already stated, I don’t have any clothing with pockets, and also never wear trousers, let alone jeans (the main butt call culprits). But it turns out I can make belly calls! It happened today while I was doing my rooftop walk. I got a call from a friend so of course I answered and we were chatting for a bit before I said “hey what’s up?” and she said “well, you called me” and I said “wut”. Turns out the phone screen was turned towards my belly and it made a call. Gotta be more careful!

noche del pescaíto

25 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, fiestas, flamenco, sevilla

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Right, so obviously Sevilla’s Feria de Abril has been cancelled this year. At first it was postponed until the end of September, when I think the city council thought they could do a combo thing with the Feria de San Miguel. But now… nada. In fact ALL festivals, fiestas, etc, are clearly going to be cancelled for the rest of the year, and most likely well into next year.

But tonight is the noche del pescaíto (night of the fried fish) which traditionally is the first evening of Feria before it officially opens, and everyone in their little private casetas do a pre-opening thing for their select friends, make a whack of fried fish and everyone is well and properly full of fish and rebujito by the time the alumbrado – the lighting up of the fair ground – happens, and when the rest of the public is allowed in.

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lockdown day 42

24 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, home, sevilla, sevilla shutdown

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This is a photo of Plaza Salvador on a typical Saturday afternoon. So as you can see, right now during lockdown is a far cry from Sevillana life as we know it. It’s not only that, like everywhere else, people are staying at home, cooking at home, eating at home, actually living at home. I think perhaps it’s a more accutely felt change here because Sevillanos tend to spend a LOT of time out in the streets. Dinner parties at home are pretty much unheard of and if there is anything to be celebrated then we like to do it outside. Streets are usually crowded and happily bustling and there is little reason to go home because we have almost everything we need outside our homes. And even though I’m someone who loves an evening in Netflixing with the cats, I do also enjoy, love, need (and now crave) the energy that being out in the streets gives me.

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rooftop life

23 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, change, coronavirus

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Remember last Sunday when I did that indoor race for the Red Cross? Well both Ania and I thought it was such a good idea that we are motivating each other to do this at least twice a week now. Ania actually runs a lot of it (indoors!), but I am just walking, so far managing about 5300 steps each time (rather than my usual 10,000 on my river walks). I am doing about 4000 steps upstairs on the terraza (that’s my rooftop walking route in the video) and then the final 1000 inside. Then I do a set of my lockdown workout.

Ha, anyone remember that one? When I said A MONTH AGO that I was going to set my phone timer while sitting at the computer desk, to make sure I got up every 45 minutes and moved around a bit? Well, never happened. I mean, I have been doing my mini-workouts, but not as often as I’d intended. Why not? Fucked if I know. I mean, it’s not like I’ve been busy doing anything else. But somehow I just couldn’t work up any motivation. I dunno, maybe it had to be a progression. Of what, I still have no idea.

But even after only a couple of 5000 step walks at home, I can see this working out. And, look what I found yesterday! I’d forgotten I had this cord attachment doohicky that allows me to hang my iPhone around my neck while walking (and counting steps – don’t have a fitbit or iwatch). And although it may sound silly, today I organised my “workout/walking clothes” so that I make the mental shift from hanging around the house in hanging-around-the-house clothes and get into fitness mode.

And it turns out I’m not alone. Since doing this I have spotted my next door neighbour also walking around in circles on his terraza, and Ana across the street is often out there tending to her plants and enjoying the fresh air, and even my downstairs neighbour is coming up to the roof to sit in a beach chair and take the sun. Also, “balcony life” has also been happening more in the past couple of weeks. Unlike in the past (almost) three years I’ve lived here, I hear my neighbours chatting to each other during the day, out on their balconies, and not just during the evening Balcony Applause. Something lovely is happening in the midst of all this mess, and it’s something I am trying to hold onto.