Tag Archives: covid-19

walking the walk

18 Tuesday Aug 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, lockdown, lockdown sevilla, sevilla

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walk restart (1)-001

As of yesterday I have resumed my daily river walks. Well okay, they may not end up being daily, but that’s the plan. And it really does feel good. Of course the walks, like everything else, came to an abrupt halt when we were all locked down mid-March. Then in April I started walking on my rooftop, which actually was fine for awhile. I did try the river walk a month or so ago, but there were so many people out there, most without masks (it’s not mandatory if you’re doing individual sport activities, but frankly with that amount of people it was hardly “individual”) that I didn’t try it again. Until yesterday. To be honest, it’s been too damn hot to go walking, either in the street or on my roof, other than maybe 5 in the morning, but this week it’s somewhat cooler. And since my dodgy shoulder keeps me from doing much exercise at home I’ve gone back to walking.

Need to get my timing down though. If I go out too early (peak coolish hours) then EVERYONE will be out there, gasping and panting their droplets all over the place as they run or cycle by WAY TOO CLOSE. Also, when I finished it would be too early to reward myself with a frosty cold beer. So I am thinking maybe leave here at 11.30 and finish up around 1.00? It is definitely beer o’clock by then and still not the hottest time of the day. Let’s see how that works out.

Of course this would mean going out EVERY DAY, which is something I have been avoiding like, well, the plague. I have already started going out once a week for lunch, which still feels risky to me, but I am taking every precaution. And aside from taking out the rubbish and occasional grocery shopping that’s really been it. So how risky is going out for a daily walk? And yeah I don’t have to have a beer every time, which would cut down on close contact with people, but man that frosty beer feels so good going down when I’m all hot and thirsty. And I get to say hi to my favourite bar guys. So I guess I’ll just play it by ear. The cases here (and everywhere) are rising daily again… second wave coming?

walk restart (2)

travelling abroad in the time of coronavirus

03 Monday Aug 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, sevilla, sevilla shutdown, spain, welcome

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covid testing

It turns out that you can get a Covid test in Sevilla at any private clinic / lab. It costs between 50-70€ and you get the results in five hours. Question. Why doesn’t our government set up a booth at the airport so arriving UNTESTED tourists can be tested and, by the time they have settled into their hotels, they will know if they are carriers or not and if they need to quarantine? Why is the focus on tourists getting tested after they get home again?

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friends in the time of coronavirus

24 Friday Jul 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, friends

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corona

This is tough. Yes, lockdown was lifted here on June 22nd, and non-essential shops, along with bars and restaurants, were allowed to slowly reopen. And so far that seems to be going well. People are mostly following the rules.

But then Spain immediately opened its borders not just to EU Schengen countries but also to the UK, which was basically WAY BEHIND in their Covid response, and even now have yet to call for a the mandatory use of masks.

After lockdown was lifted here nothing much changed for me. I stayed home, waiting to see what was going to happen. Would there be a second wave of infections two weeks later? How safe was it really? For those who don’t know I am in a high risk situation due to being immunocompromised due to previous cancer and chemo treatments, and also because of my age. So not only am I more likely to catch this fucker, I am also more likely to die from it. A sobering thought.

But I have been out for tapas now… maybe 3-4 times? And also for the occasional cold beer when I’ve been out grocery shopping on my own. Have also had a couple of business meetings and a trip to the hospital. Though I mostly keep myself to a schedule whereby I only go OUT THERE about once a week, and maybe meet up with a friend every other outing. Which leads me to… Continue reading →

cherry picking

09 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by in sevilla

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cherry picking

I have been watching Covid developments in Catalunya and the Baleares with interest, as they have recently made mask-wearing mandatory EVERYWHERE outside your home (exceptions: at the beach or pool, doing outdoor sports) and am hoping that Andalucía will follow suit without first waiting for infections to rise, which is likely now that our borders are open again and there is no test & trace programme in operation.

The thing is, as time goes on people are becoming more relaxed about this virus that nobody actually knows much about, not even the experts. And many of these deniers have decided to cherry pick the “expert information” they read or hear about, according to what they want to believe, and accept it as fact. And then expect everyone else to agree with them.

Me, on the other hand, prefer to go by information that is at least backed up by some scientific evidence. I do admit I am often looking for information that will back up my own (sometimes? often?) unpopular opinion – that there is no fucking way we are in the clear yet. Simply because I am often being made to feel ridiculous for continuing to be so careful. For me the biggest mistake made so far by the Spanish government (after not shutting down soon enough) has been reopening the borders immediately after lockdown was lifted, without any sort of test & trace programme, really without any plan other than take temps at the airport. EVERYONE knows by now that many people with Covid don’t have fevers, many don’t present at all, but they are still infectious carriers. Meanwhile other people could have a fever for other innocuous reasons, like having their periods. What is needed is a Covid test upon arrival, and seclusion until results arrive. For starters.

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missing fucking everything

30 Tuesday Jun 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, sevilla

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missing you

I’m really getting tired of people complaining about how they can’t do this or that anymore, or how they now HAVE to do this or that, like it’s some sort of fucking hardship. Because what they are mostly going on about are minor inconveniences that only privileged people get to complain about, like not being able to go on holiday in the same comfort they are accustomed to or (OMG) having to wear a mask in public.

So I’m not here to complain. But man, I do miss so many things. In fact, I miss almost everything about life pre-Covid. Especially that bit about being able to walk outside without fearing for my life. But mostly I miss people. Which means I really miss my job, because it was all about meeting new people, showing them an amazing time having tapas and walking around my beautiful Sevilla, leaving totally destroyed tables like that one above. It was always a good time. And they even paid me to do it! Oh yeah, also miss having an income.

Meanwhile the only human contact touch-wise since March 11th (after a big hug from Victor in Málaga) has been during two medical appointments. Not exactly affectionate. Yet if I were to meet any of my very huggable friends tomorrow I wouldn’t dare. And so yeah, I miss that too. Big time.

But I’m not complaining. And here’s why. Because over the past three months countless people have died, others have lost loved ones, have lost their jobs, their homes, it’s truly a global tragedy beyond our comprehension. I mean, it must be right, otherwise the fucking Karens and Brads wouldn’t be bleating on about their late online deliveries or not being able to take hand luggage on their holiday flight. Right?? Because otherwise that just makes them the most selfish and despicable pieces of shit I hope to never meet.

I mean I do understand people wanting their old lives back, wanting things to go back to how they used to be, because I think that would be lovely too. But I also know that IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN. Surely I cannot be the only person who has realised this and, albeit begrudgingly, has accepted this difficult fact and has moved on to … okay then, now what?? What do we do next? What can we do? To me this is the next logical step.

For me the next steps are just to get through each day as well as I can, and try to think about regrouping and working again… maybe in January? Or maybe I’ll have to reinvent myself once again at the ripe old age of 63 1/2… well, I’ve done it before, many times, but I was younger then and didn’t have dodgy knees. But whatever it takes, you know? Thing is, it’s going to take something that many people may not be prepared for, something called personal sacrifice and empathy. Because nothing is going to be the same ever again, and while I think that in some ways this may not be such a bad thing it sure isn’t going to be easy. Now is the time to realise that we are all in this together. So…

PUT YOUR FUCKING MASK ON.