17 Friday Jul 2020
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Posted this on Instagram before going to bed. Truth is, I haven’t been out this late in the evening for months. If you zoom in you’ll see that the people on the bridge are all bundled up in coats and jackets (not suitable for today’s 40º temps). But I just miss it.
16 Thursday Jul 2020
Posted in restaurants, sevilla
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My friends Bizzy & Franco, along with their partners at Grupo GMI, have launched this fab new option for home delivery called A Casa Tua, which not only offers great pizza, pasta and salads brought to your door, but also the ingredients for making your own carbonara, puttanesca, etc at home along with instructions.
15 Wednesday Jul 2020
Posted in coronavirus, video
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09 Thursday Jul 2020
Posted in sevilla
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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.
09 Thursday Jul 2020
Posted in coronavirus, health & happiness, work
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‘You should not think the only way you can get the infection is if someone coughs on you or sneezes on you’ — Dr. Fauci dispelled myths about how you can catch COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/JYe2hd9TqA
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 9, 2020
So I had a two work-related meetings yesterday, both about an hour long, and I was surprised to see that at both places the people I met with weren’t wearing masks. And well, okay, we were seated *almost* a metre apart (the new magic distancing measurement) and nobody was coughing or sneezing, but we all know about transmission from aerosol droplets now, which can stay in the air for up to eight hours. So I sat there uncomfortably until the meetings were finished, slathered sanitising gel on my hands and left.
Then on the way home I decided to see if anyone was at my hairdresser’s. I know they stay open all day and that usually during lunchtime (2-4pm) it is quiet. And so it was. In fact at first I thought they were closed but the owner was outside having a cigarette and came over when he saw me at the door. I told him I just wanted a wash and cut, and he could skip the blow drying, so I was out of there again in about 15 minutes. I noticed that they are now using disposable “towels” and single use plastic capes, but just before I sat down to have my hair washed I said to Joaquín, “aren’t you going to put on a mask?” and he said yes of course, that he just had it off while he was outside, etc. I explained about my immunocompromised situation (he knows about the cancer, been going here for years) and after that he seemed to take even extra care, wiping down the chairs with antiseptic gel before I sat down, so that was good. And while I am never totally comfortable in public places these days, at least I felt precautions were being taken.
But I noticed – and learned – something about those different experiences. At the meetings where I was hoping to get a work offer I didn’t feel like I could mention the mask issue, but where I was a paying customer I felt totally within my rights to request that a mask be worn. And I thought to myself afterwards, is that what it comes down to? That my life is worth less when there is money involved? And so even though I really need the money, I vowed never again. If some people want to believe they are somehow safe from this virus then I guess I will have to keep my distance. Me? I’d rather believe Dr Fauci.
casa azahar 