Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D78 - Good times!

Definitely a much more cheerful weekend than last week! YAY for "Fase 1" and restaurants / bars / cafés having opened up their terraces and being able to get together with friends (up to 10) for a drink / snack / meal! 🥳

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D76 - Flags at half mast

The government announced a 10-day period of mourning for the lives lost to Covid-19. It started with a minute of silence at noon and flags in all official buildings and monuments lowered to half mast.

I only heard about it on the news at lunch... but already a couple of weeks ago when I went into town there was a giant black ribbon at City Hall. And a minute of silence while at the supermarket on Saturday.

As we see the light at the end of the Covid-tunnel (this stretch of it at least), as we start breathing a sigh of relief as business reopen, we get to see our friends and families again, it feels right to take a moment to think of those who have succumbed to this virus. So often alone. To their families who couldn't say proper farewells. 

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D75 - Dipping my toes

AT LAST! Finally dipped my toes in the Mediterranean... summer is inching closer and the sea has been looking more and more enticing each time I go out for my evening walk. 

I just hope by the time the days heat up and we're begging to get in the water, that we'll be allowed to get in the water. Supposedly Phase 2 is when full beach access will be allowed around here (and not just for walking or water sports athletes), and if all goes well in Alicante that would start next Monday. They just have to figure out the social distancing recommendations, and how to monitor their implementation.

I'll have to admit though... Once the crowds start, I'm going to miss walking along almost empty beaches.

Playa de San Juan

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D73 - Heartbreak & Nostalgia

The past few days have been really hard. Not because of the lockdown (although that hasn't helped), but because Friday would have been my Dad's birthday (were it not for that bloody Glioblastoma multiforme). A date that wouldn't have passed unremarked, even if Facebook hadn't provided me with photo memories of the past 10 years worth of crazy birthday celebrations...

The whole week leading up to this has been hard, I don't think I went to bed a single night with dry eyes (which continued some mornings as well). Overflowed to the weekend... and we'll see how the next few days go considering the 28th would be my parents' 48th wedding anniversary.

I know it would have helped my mom if we could have gone to the cemetery to take flowers... but he's buried in her hometown 45' north of us, and because of the lockdown it's only open a couple of hours in the mornings, when I have to work. And they've limited the number of people who can be in there at a time, meaning we could drive up all the way up there on a weekend day and not be allowed in. So we have to wait for the next phase of the "desconfinamiento" and hope they increase the access...

One thing that did soothe my soul this evening at least, I decided to take some flowers to my dad's beach on the Cape (2 blocks from their apartment), and spent a long while sitting on the rocks, looking out at sea, listening to Yo Yo Ma give a live concert of Bach's cello concerto's on YouTube...

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D69 - Thankful for Nature

Went for a lovely walk along the Cape this evening... was hoping there would be fewer people out than usual what with the possibility to meet up with friends at cafés or homes (there weren't).

Calm waters. Lovely sunset. Has been wonderful being able to come out for a walk in the evenings since the desconfinamiento started and they've been slowly letting up on the lockdown restrictions.

My happy place!

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D68 - FRIENDS!!!

The absolutely most wonderful thing about progressing to Fase 1 of the de-escalation? Getting to finally meet up with FRIENDS!!! Also family 😉 Basically someone you don't live with! Maximum groups of 10 people (ideally maintaining social distance recommendations). Either in someone's house, or in a restaurant/café terrace (allowed to open now at 50% capacity, indoors waits until next phase).

I didn't head out anywhere yesterday, decided to let the people who were a bit more desperate go out and get it out of their system (we've seen a pattern here, first day in the rule change people tend to go nuts and just ignore the rules!). But tonight was a lovely little dinner party with friends overlooking the Med! 🥳 So nice to be able to just hang out for a few hours... 

Although the whole "keeping our distance" thing lasted all of 2 minutes...

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D66 - Fase 1, hola!

Day 1 of Fase 1 in Alicante. So far no change! But because I decided not to go out and try it... I figure being the first day there would be too many people out and about (has been the pattern so far), and people are still confused about the dos and don'ts. Alicante City Hall has circulated helpful infographics on social media channels (ditto various sports clubs, cultural websites etc.) , and yet the comments in them show people with still lots of very basic questions. And it's not really that complicated!!! *sigh* The main things that have changed (that people care about) is (1) you can go to a small business without having to have made an appointment previously, (2) restaurants/bars/cafés can open up their terraces for sit-down service (take away is also an option), (3) churches can open to 30% occupancy level, (4) gatherings in private homes of up to 10 people are allowed. All that with social distancing recommendations. Oh, and a few more people get to go back to work...

One of my colleagues sent a message to our office WhatsApp group this afternoon. She lives downtown and goes out for a walk with her daughters every day. She said it had a pre-quarantine feel to it. Terraces full of people, with tables too close to each other. A lot more people milling on the streets, man of them taking advantage of the fact that the police can't check up on everyone so they could be out for a walk with friends and just say "oh I was going to the café"...  Hopefully lessons will be learnt, people will follow the guidelines, and we don't get an increase in infections because of rule-breakers.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to hanging out on a friend's balcony tomorrow evening, enjoying a nice glass of wine with some good company while overlooking the sea!

#stayhome, #quedateencasa, #restecheztoi

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D65 - Farewell sunset, Fase 0 adiós!

We did it! Whatever it is we were supposed to do... but the entirety of the province of Alicante will be in "Fase 1" of the lockdown de-escalation tomorrow.  🥳 

To celebrate, I decided to head out for a walk to the Cape and enjoy the sunset...

So privileged to live near such a beautiful spot! 🥰

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D62 - By the sea

Depending on wether you support the government or are in the opposition, the take on this whole 4-step "desconfinamiento" (de-escalation of the lockdown) process has been something between "they're making it up as they go" to "they set out their instructions, then listen to the criticism, and amend it where they think the criticism made sense".

Some of that shifting among the restrictions has been lifted by the national government, but others by regional or local governments. And the changes that have caught the most attention in Alicante are those related to use of the coastline. Namely the beaches. Which makes sense considering we're a beach city and all!

Playa de la Albufereta (our small beach)

Corona-Lockdown Spanish Edition - D60 - Adiós Hogueras

Well that's it... no Hogueras this year! 😢

After postponing the June holiday to September, today the mayor announced that the 2020 edition was canceled. So no giant sculptures will be burnt to a crisp with firecrackers until June 2021. *sob*

I've been expecting this announcement ever since the city of Munich announced the cancelation of Oktoberfest a few weeks ago. I figured if an event that big (with the economic impact it entails), and that was set for a month after the Hogueras new dates, was canceled, then our holiday was heading for the chopping block.

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - D57 - Downtown!

My first visit downtown in 2 months... wow! So weird to see empty streets, solitary bus stops, that would otherwise be bustling with Saturday morning shoppers... Well, not completely empty. When I went into town it coincided with the "over-70" exercise time, so there were a few elderly couples out for a stroll. You could tell they weren't used to dealing with traffic anymore, plenty sauntering along in the middle of the street! 😝

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - D56 - Confusion

There's a lot of that going around. People are confused about what they can and can't do as they move from one phase of the de-escalation to another, regional and local governments are confused as to the criteria the national government is using to decide which areas get to pass from one phase to another... some of us are just permanently confused! 😉

For a while there yesterday and today I thought I'd be heading into the office to work Friday next week, and Thur/Fri the following week, as we assured a "minimum presence" (1 person) during Phase 1. There was a bit of confusion as those of us designated for the office babysitting job switched days with each other. Then there was confusion because it wasn't clear if we actually needed to be there, and a couple of hours ago it was finally confirmed that we don't. And then a few hours after that the announcement came in of which provinces moved from Phase o into Phase 1 (allowing bars and restaurants to open up terraces at 50% occupation, social gatherings of max. 10 people - including in private homes, etc), and the Valencia Community was highly confused when half of us didn't make the cut! Including Alicante city and neighboring areas dependent on our two public hospitals...

Confusion all around! Oh well... hopefully clarity will come with more info from the government on Monday. Or not.

At least I got to head out and stretch my legs for a few hours and smell the sea. I'm good! 🥰

#stayhome, #quedateencasa, #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 52 - Star Wars Social Distancing

I just want to take a few minutes to share some laughs in the form of more Covid-19 memes, in honor of Star Wars Day. 😉 (once again I know not the source, these have circulated on social media)

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 51 - Celebrating apart

I think I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I don't know how we'd be getting through this lockdown without video conferences!!! Especially when there's something to celebrate.

Today is Mothers' Day here in Spain, and my mom is all alone at her place! Due to the quarantine rules she can't come here and I can't go there (other than to take her groceries, but since today is Sunday and shops are closed - if I get stopped by the police on my way over to her house it's a 600€ fine!). And my sisters are in Sweden and the UK!

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 50 - A taste of freedom!

50 days locked in. 50 days at home, only going out to take the trash to the bin up the street, or to do the grocery shopping (usually both the same day).

Today we were finally allowed OUT! 🥳

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 49 - Emotional triggers

You know that expression, the straw that broke the camel's back? It seems quite accurate at times... especially emotionally. When you're already functioning at a high level of stress, anxiety, emotional distress, just holding it in daily, from time to time you allow yourself to forget that things aren't great with you (or you manage to fool yourself along with everyone else). But then the proverbial straw appears and triggers an overwhelming emotional response, completely disproportionate to the straw itself.

That's me today. 

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 46 - Announcing deescalation!

Well here's something to look forward to! We finally have information on the Government's plan to slowly roll-back the lockdown rules. Gotta love the name "Plan for the Transition Toward a New Normality", really rolls off the tongue, lol!

It starts on Saturday with everyone allowed out (finally!) to do individual walks or work-outs, and restaurants that offer take-out options will be allowed to re-open (but not for seating). Then gradually, province by province (not all at the same time due to different conditions in each, and no movements between provinces if they are in different phases) we go through several phases:

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 44 - A glimpse of freedom

There was more activity outside today than the last 6 quarantine Sundays combined! Why's that? Today was the first big loosening of the lockdown, and as promised children up to 14 (with a parent) were allowed outside to play in the streets or the parks for the first time in 6 weeks! My friends and colleagues with kids have been celebrating all day. 🥳

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 43 - Still not celebrating

Six months ago yesterday was my mom's 70th birthday. It's a good thing my sisters and I took her out to a concert at the Philarmonic as an early birthday present, because on the day itself we didn't celebrate. We were surrounded by family and friends, but at my dad's funeral... 💔😢 Definitely not good times... but we were still trying to look forward to something, and we decided that 70 deserved to be celebrated, so we'd just celebrate 70 1/2 and postpone the party to 6 months later! (today instead of yesterday because Saturday).

But it's kind of hard to throw a party when not only are gatherings not allowed, but everyone is stuck at home, and two of the main organizers are in different countries (Sweden & UK).

At this point, between quarantine regulations and most of the potential guests being "at risk population" for the virus, who knows how long we'll have to wait... 🤔

So many celebratory events on hold... a friend of mine has her wedding here at the end of September, and she's already talking about postponing it since she's not sure non-EU guests will be able to come from overseas (including her mom!).

#stayhome, #quedateencasa, #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 41 - Happy International Book Day!

During this time of quarantine when we'd all like to escape from this insanity I'd just like to say...

YAY FOR BOOKS!!! 🥳

They'll take us on a trip to Mars, to Middle Earth or to Medieval days... among thousands of other places!

So far we're at almost 6 weeks of quarantine, and I'm at 8 books to date (well 7,5 considering I was halfway through one of them when we got locked down). I've switched showers for baths on many an evening, and it gives me a leisurely hour to escape to a watery library and lose myself in a book until the water begins to feel chilly. 😉 7 of the books are by Sharon Kay Penman because whenever I pick up one of her books it inevitably leads me down the path to others of hers, so my TBR pile is feeling a bit neglected... The reading has even interfered with my quarantine movie project as I find myself divided in the evening between stretching out on the sofa with a movie or a going for a nice long soak in the tub with a good book!

For International Book Day this year I think we should all just

#stayhome #quedateencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 40 - Alicante fauna

Happy 50th Earth Day! 🥳

I imagine everyone has seen the photos and memes about "Nature is healing" during the quarantine?Dolphins in the canals in Venice, animals roaming city streets... Well this is the Alicante edition! (well, my neighborhood edition, as this is what I've seen at my place and my mom's when I've taken her groceries)

We've got wood pigeons hanging out on the ground instead of in the treetops

Squirrels sauntering along the street (missed the photo-op, he scurried up a palm tree when I got close).

Seagulls and ducks enjoying a freshwater bath in swimming pools.

Not exactly "wildlife", but we do what we can. 😉 I'm sure if I could go walking in the park on the Cape I would see hedgehogs... How about in your neck of the woods? 

By the way, quarantine = 40 days, right? Can we go out now??? 😓

#stayhome #quedateencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 39 - Cacerolada

Whoops! The government really put their foot in it this time! 😒

Since it was first discussed on Saturday, families have been looking forward to hearing the government's proposal on allowing children outside to walk, run, get fresh air! And today was the big day, time to celebrate! Children up to the age of 14 would be allowed to go out with a parent.. when they went to the bank, the pharmacy or the supermarket, but not out on the street for just a walk. The thing is, in many regions of the country that was already allowed (if there was no one else in the house to leave the child with). 

Uyyyyyy... 

Yeah. People were NOT happy about that. Kids allowed to go indoors to a place with a higher chance of catching the virus instead of being outdoors?!?!

And they let their displeasure known. WhatsApp messages flew around calling for a "cacerolada" (banging of pots and pans) at 7pm as a protest.

ALL other political parties (even those who have been supporting Sánchez's PSOE) disagreed with the decision.

And so the government has quickly walked that back, and announcing this evening that they will allow children outdoors starting on Sunday, as one of the measures to be approved in Congress tomorrow when they vote on extending the State of Alarm (and lockdown) another two weeks.

#stayhome #quedateencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 38 - A good day

Today was a good day. Made some progress around the apartment, worked on my new project, laughed at my 1 year-old nephew's blueberry-covered face in Sweden while my 4 year-old niece tried teach their dog tricks (or rather the dog was teaching her), listened to some good music. Not bad for a Monday! Thankfully it's a holiday Monday! 😎

Saturday's announcement that the government is studying the possibility of letting children out to play for a little bit each day in a week has started up the meme machines again. 

"Child for rent"

"Who do you want to go out with? Daddy or Mommy" "Do you understand me now?"

That second one reminds me I haven't shared my favorite canine memes yet! Coming soon! (or past, I still have a few catch-up posts pending)

Another thing that popped up today which brought a huge smile on my face and got my feet moving, was a quarantine edition of an old song I love, by Spanish Celtic Rock band Celtas Cortos.  The song is supposed to be a letter written on April 20th 1990, so today would be its 30th anniversary. The band have recorded a new video from their homes, joined in by staff in essential services (including first responders, health professionals, cleaning services, supermarkets, transporters, teachers, researchers and farmers), other musicians and actors in Spain, as part of a fundraising effort for Médecins Sans Frontières. It's a blast!

As for that new project? I'm launching a new blog! (yes another one, whoops!..) Have been working on the layout, inaugural post and my own story all weekend... Will share more once it's ready, hopefully any day now!

#stayhome #quedateencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 36 - We're not going anywhere yet

Today's good news is that in the President's speech he said the government is studying the measures (and conditions) to let children under 12 outside to run around and play for the first time in 6 weeks starting Monday April  27th (in some regions they are allowed to accompany a parent to take our the trash or go grocery shopping or walk the dog if they are too young to be home alone, but that's not running or playing). This topic has become so prominent in the past few days that I've been wondering if we weren't seeing a small rebellion brewing. Tensions do seem on the rise with no clear end in sight. We seem to have passed the peak ten days ago, numbers dropped, but seem to be staying constant at a level that is not low...

In other good news, the field hospital set up in Madrid (here's an interesting Spanish article about it from last month) has announced they're going to close down one of the pavilions because the number of patients has gone down enough to let them to that! 🥳 Clear sign of things improving. Funnily though, the three field hospitals in the Valencia Community (Castellón, Valencia & Alicante) were finally completed a couple of days ago and are now ready to receive patients.

Today's bad news is that the President also announced that he's going to ask Congress to approve another 2-week extension to the State of Alarm, until May 9th. That will make it 8 weeks. *sigh* He also said that hopefully at that point they'll start the gradual opening up process, but we'll have to wait a couple of weeks to find out what that might look like.

So I think it's time to just go wild and dance on the balcony... (my neighbors pumped up the volume after the daily clapping this evening) 😜

Today's smile (in case that video didn't crack you up), comes from all the talented people participating in the live "One World: Together at Home" festival organized by WHO and Global Citizen.

I'm watching and listening in as I write this... Have been enjoying it for the past 4h, but I think I'm going to have to catch the end when I get up in the morning. It's almost midnight and the headliners won't be on until 2am. Mañana más!

#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 35 - Distant goodbyes

After the overwhelming first couple of quarantine weeks I've been trying to keep coronavirus "news" down to a minimum. It's too absorbing and not healthy. And it makes me sad. 

I know a lot of people of all ages are very scared of this virus, of catching it, falling sick, having to be hospitalized. In all truth that's not something that has worried me too much. Statistics are in my favor. When I catch it (because let's face it, most of us will at some point in the next year), based on my age and general good health and immune system I should be among the "mild" cases, or if a stronger one have a good chance of coming through it ok. Of course I know there's no guarantee of that, but it is likely. I have had a serious flu once before (2nd year of college) and have no desire to go through that again if it can be helped (have never been so ill in my life!). The only thing that really scares me is catching it and because of that long incubation period (and chance of being unsymptomatic) unknowingly passing it to my mom who is among the high-risk population (70 years old, damaged lungs and other significant health issues). About 70% of Covid-19 cases in Spain have been in people over 50, and over 60% of the ICU cases have been in people over 60. Retirement homes have been hit particularly badly (there are even investigations into some of them to see if sufficient mitigation measures had been implemented).

Whenever you turn on the news, or go online to read about the situation, it is impossible to avoid stories about people mourning their loved ones. Loved ones who died alone, or just accompanied by medical staff. Families not able to say a proper goodbye, even when the death wasn't from Covid-19 because funerals are no longer an option under the social distancing quarantine rules. A few weeks ago a friend had to wait a full day before she could drive 2h to the city where her parents live to be with her mom after her father died. She couldn't go until she had received a copy of the death certificate (needed in case the police stopped her along the route). No funeral, just the two of them at home waiting for the ashes to be delivered. The first week of the quarantine we had the first Covid-19 death connected with my work place. A staff member of the university (known to quite a few people in my office) died, and her partner and family couldn't get together to say their farewells. And a couple of hours ago my sister (who lives in Sweden) told us that her father-in-law (in Texas) was in hospital and her mother-in-law couldn't go see him or be with him. An hour later she told us he had passed. Under the current situation my brother-in-law (or my sister) obviously can't go to the States now to be with his mother. These days everyone has to mourn from a distance, often physically separated from the people who need their comfort. Video calls help, but they're no substitute for a good hug. And that's heartbreaking. 💔😢

#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 33 - Quarantine Movie Marathon!

When we all got locked in a month ago (that long?!) one of the first things that popped into my head was "Tolkien movie marathon!!!" So the first weekend I watched the Hobbit trilogy, and the second one the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And then I stalled... what next? Looking at my dvds... Star Wars? Nope, missing the latest (doesn't come out on disc in Spain until June). Harry Potter? Indiana Jones? So many fabulous options!

Many people around me have been talking about fun "quarantine projects" involving books, Netflix series marathons, movies (I've been organizing online Saturday "movie nights" with friends)... And then it came to me! A quarantine-long (but not daily!) movie marathon in which the criteria were:

• Has to be a movie I own (some of them haven't been taken off the shelves in a loooong time)
• Whichever movie I watch has to be related somehow to the previous one (with the exception of Saturday Movie Night, since that's a consensus pick among the gang)

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 32 - Slowly opening up?

Two weeks ago, to slow down the virus spread even more, the Spanish government froze all non-essential jobs for 8 (working) days, putting anyone who was still going to work (as opposed to working from home) in non-essential services (so not in the food supply chain, health, public sanitation or transport) on a "recuperable holiday", the idea being that they would still be paid, but they'd have to work out with their employers how to recuperate those non-worked hours. Honestly I don't know how much of the labour force that represents, as most businesses that depend on customers have all had to shut down putting their employees on Covid-furlough (they should be receiving 70% of their salary from the government, but I don't know anyone who's gotten it yet). I guess some industry, plus construction, and domestic helpers (unless they were going to care for sick or elderly)?

Anyhow, between yesterday and today (because yesterday was a holiday, Easter Monday, in a third of the country) all those people were allowed to go back to work, following strict social distancing measures. It was even announced that there would be a distribution of face masks at the entrance to public transportation for people who used it. We'll see how this goes... hope the numbers don't start increasing again! There were some vocal protests by certain professional groups (I saw one from nutritionists?) saying it was too soon. I hope not! If it goes well, hopefully they'll start relaxing the measures for more of us.

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 31 - Catching up

Easter Monday... As my mom has been reminding me all weekend long, traditionally people around here (Alicante, Valencia areas) would have family picnics and go out and eat "la mona de Pascua", another traditional Easter pastry with a hard-boiled egg on top. My mom often tells us that when she was young her group of friends would go to the beach, and the game would be to crack the egg on someone's forehead to then peel it. Of course there was always that one jokester who came with a raw egg... 😉

4 day Easter weekend. From Good Friday to Easter Monday. Yup... Not that different from the other Quarantine days! Other than not having to log into work, something that is always much appreciated on a Monday!

For the past 2 weeks I'm afraid I've been neglecting the blog. Not feeling the energy in the evenings after work. Although in my mind I was posting regularly! (pity I can't just "think" these posts into existence) I was setting aside photos or memes to share. Make note of things to write about. And then evening came around aaaand "I'll just watch this movie and then sit back down at the computer". Nope. Books and bed! 

On the plus side, I'm devouring books like I hadn't done in a long time! Unfortunately not having much impact on my humongous TBR pile because one of the books I've read has led me down the rabbit hole of picking up other books from the same author that I've read before because they're connected - and just damn good reads! The book was The Land Beyond the Sea by Sharon Kay Penman (I've written about her before). Honestly she should put a warning on the first page of her books "Beware - finishing this book will inexorably lead you to continue with the rest of the author's collection".

I've also been doing quite a bit of baking... Today I experimented with making a "lemon drizzle cake" following a recipe shared by a Scottish colleague. Super tasty!!! Albeit a bit on the sweet side. Mental note: less sugar next time. And thank goodness for Google to help figure out substitutes! I don't think "self raising flour" is a thing in Spain (at least I couldn't find any)... Google kindly helped me figure out how to "make" that myself (just add baking powder, duh! question was proportions).

I will be catching up with blog posts from some the missing days (between March 30th and today), because as I mentioned I had things set aside for them. Today I managed to post Days 17-18-19-30. Hopefully I'll be able to do a better job continuing onwards. Although I am preparing a fun project for the travel blog, if I can get contributors.... 😉🤞

#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 30 - Happy Quarantine Easter!

Well this will definitely be an Easter to remember... Instead of joyful family get-togethers, Easter Mass for the Faithful, joyful Easter Sunday Processions (here in Spain), we get... who knows?! I imagine everyone is doing something different... What I saw among my own friends and family in social media was quite diverse! One friend was "attending" Mass in the Vatican on TV. Others had prepared traditional Easter meals and decorations. Some of my cousins in the US and my sister in Sweden prepared Easter baskets for the kids and hid the eggs in the garden or the house (was raining in Sweden). I saw friends in New Zealand and the U.S. paint printed pictures of Easter eggs with their kids to put up in windows... In my case the only "Easter" thing I did was have "torrijas" for breakfast (French toast with thick bread, and sugar & cinnamon instead of syrup), something typical here in Spain during Holy Week and Easter, and then watch a concert in the evening. It was a grey day here, not very cheerful. But perfect for huddling under the blanket on the sofa with a book and a movie. 😎

(disclaimer: these were from a frozen food company, not from scratch! 😜)

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 21 - Spanish universities are "closed" for students until September!

At least for face-to-face classes. Online education is going strong. Or trying to. It kind of depends on the professor's IT skills and willingness to put in the extra work. 

I have friends who are university professors, and others who are students (I'm non-academic staff). From what I hear some professors are trying to adapt their materials to an online format as much as possible, and giving some "live" lectures on Google Meet or Zoom (of course my friends included because all my friends are cool like that). But some others are just uploading PowerPoint presentations or reading materials and exercises to do and the students are NOT happy about that at all! Not to mention they're worried about how they will be evaluated for this semester (oral exams? continuous evaluation? papers? test?), how they're supposed to do internships (those that had them) or labs... What they don't always realize is that this is just as stressful for the professors! And definitely a lot more work. It takes A LOT more time to prepare one's materials for remote teaching, you can't necessarily go about things the same way you would in a classroom. And yes, there are quite a few professors who are just not that technologically savvy! Our university has a service up and running to help them, but... there are limits to what people can do in a short time and in stressful circumstances. 😓

Back to the headline... most Spanish universities have started announcing today (following government recommendations) that students wouldn't be heading back to campus the rest of this academic year (some, like the Catalan ones, are still hoping they can get students back in June). The first phase of the quarantine was the universities (and profs) trying to get online classes up as quickly as possible. This next phase will involve continuing that and figuring out how to evaluate the students. All I can say is... good luck to all, students and professors!

On my end... I'm wondering how that's going to impact the rest of the university staff. I'm thinking once this lockdown is over, and they progressively start letting people back to their businesses, jobs etc. it will probably be gradually and with social distancing measures in place. Those of us who can work from home will probably be among the last to get back to the office. Among the university staff this would have been difficult for those who work face-to-face with students (profs, department secretaries, librarians etc.), but now there's no rush for them to go back either. In any case, without our 30'000 student population on campus it will be a ghost town when we finally do get back...

#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 20 - Canceled festivities

If there's one thing you need to know about Spaniards, it's that they LOVE their traditional holidays! Particularly in small towns, and in certain city neighborhoods that feel like towns. They're bright, colorful, festive... and very noisy! 😂 Marching bands galore, music late into the night, and in this part of Spain (Valencia region) lots of firecrackers and related noise-makers. The big ones around here (Alicante province) are the Hogueras (big ones in Alicante city for June 24th, smaller ones in other towns on different dates) and the Moros y Cristianos (main ones in Alcoi and Villajoyosa, but getting bigger in many other towns like neighboring San Vicente where the university is located).

The thing is... these events bring out massive crowds. Social distancing? Impossible! So one after the other cities and towns have been announcing the postponement of their big holiday. The Hogueras de San Juan in Alicante? Shipped off to the first weekend in September to wrap up the summer instead of launch it. Fallas in Valencia scheduled for mid-March? Just 10 days before (with some of the monuments already half set up!) finally shifted to 2nd half of July. Moros y Cristianos in Alcoi (end of April)? They're considering the first weekend in October. And so on, and so forth. 😥 

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 19 - April Fools?

Soooo... For this year I'm more along the lines of this:

It helps that April Fools isn't a "thing" in Spain. (we've got the "Day of the Innocents" on December 28th)

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 18 - Out and about!

Today was shopping day! Which means between 1h30 - 2h out of the house and stretching my legs. PARTYYY!!!!

My usual route has me leaving around 1pm-ish. I walk to the supermarket that's a block away and grab the "non-fresh" stuff on my and my mom's grocery lists (her list is usually twice as long as mine!). Then I walk 10 minutes to a small shopping centre and go to the produce shop to get fruit & veg, to the butcher's for meat, a bakery for bread and a few treats, and a small "home cooked meals" take out spot to grab a couple of meals for my mom (and one for me since I'm starving for lunch by the time I get home!). From there it's just 2 blocks to my mom's apartment, where I unload the groceries, help out if needed (changing sheets!), and then walk on home (another 10-15'). On the way back I walk through the park near home, so nice to be surround by some green and to see flowers!

Today was a lovely day too... felt wonderful to be outside! 😎

#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 17 - Police cheers

Well this was new! I'd heard from friends and colleagues about the Police going around to some neighborhoods to cheer on the people for staying home, but hadn't happened around here yet! But last night I heard music out the back windows, went to check... and a couple of police cars were playing a birthday song for someone in the building behind mine! 🥳

After that they drove down the street playing the national anthem and saying "muchas gracias". 😊

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 16 - potty laughs

The Spanish government has officially locked us down even further by reducing the number of businesses / industry that can still be open, sending more people home on furlough with the aims to get more people off the streets because the numbers are still going up and many hospitals (particularly in Madrid) aren't able to cope... 😢

Time to look back a few weeks to when this all started and lots of laughs were being passed around on social media, many of which about the great Toilet Paper Crisis of 2020!💩 

Here, have some smiles... 😆 (sadly I cannot link to sources, these have been circulating widely on Facebook & WhatsApp)

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 15 - Movie night!

What a lazy Saturday it's been... I can honestly say I have done nothing productive today! Not that I had any specific plans to, but I was hoping to get something done. But it's getting harder to get out of bed in the morning unless work beckons (weekdays). And then of course random stuff happens! Like a 90' FaceTime call involving a 15 month old who wouldn't give up the phone to either his mom or his sister (or at least not for long). Let's just say I am now very familiar with the ceilings in my sister's house! 😂😂😂 

Fortunately one thing I had planned did work out: movie night!!! My frequent cinema companions and I each set up on our TVs or computers the same film, I launched a four-way video call on WhatsApp - first time trying that option, worked like a charm - showed off our snacks (ranging from popcorn to brownies) and chatted for a nice long while. And then THREE - TWO - ONE - PLAY! 2h later and group call again to compare notes. One disadvantage compared to the cinema: one person fell asleep 15' before the end, tsk! tsk! We weren't there to nudge him awake! 😜

I've been told I should check out if Netflix in Spain has the "party" option, apparently you can watch it with friends in different homes and it will start it for everyone at the same time and you can comment or something... Might look into that for next weekend! Low-tech worked just fine this time.

Can I add, Tom Hanks is always a reliable choice for movie night? 😉

#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 14 - Life goes on... online! (cont)

I honestly can't imagine this lockdown going this well, if it weren't for high-speed internet, social media channels, and video-conferencing options! (and I shudder to think what would happen should the internet collapse)

Ok, true that there are quite a few people out there who either don't have internet (don't want / can't afford) or are familiar enough with the options to make the most out of it, but I'd say a majority of the locked-in populations in Europe DO have a decent broadband connection, 4G on their smartphones (for when the wifi doesn't work), and know how to use them (or have someone to explain it) well enough to do video calls using FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp, Viber or whatever else is out there. Some of these can also be used for group calls, or people can set up online meeting rooms in Zoom, AdobeConnect, Google Hangout or Meet etc. We've also got text and video messages flying at us from all directions (to the point we've all received a forward that recommends reducing the sending of video messages to not collapse or dramatically slow down the service with heavy files).

Feeling a bit lonely or isolated? Just pull out your device and video call a friend. Video, not voice! Nothing really substitutes the face to face, but "virtual" face to face can help. Since this lockdown started 2 weeks ago I've had a video chat with my mom (who lives 15' away) almost every day (interspersed with regular voice calls), several video calls with my sisters overseas, video calls with individual friends and several group hangouts. In fact in these two weeks I have probably spent more time hanging out and chatting with friends than in the past two months! Were we really all too busy before? Or did we just not make it a priority? Now we are each other's lifelines... Company for when we're feeling lonely, an audience to crack jokes with, therapists when we need to complain or commiserate about whatever... Our second day locked in I had a 5-way Skype call with close friends in Spain, Belgium, France and Austria. Last Sunday I had a 90' FaceTime call with a friend in San Diego.

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 13 - Life goes on... online!

So nothing for days 11 & 12 simply because I was angry and in a foul mood on Tuesday, and yesterday just so, so tired...

Much better today! I guess we're all going to have our ups and downs while being locked up, more than normal. To be expected.

I wanted something cheerful today... to celebrate that tomorrow's Friday so it's almost the weekend! Need to find ways to mark the different days of the week other than work yes/no. So I'm planning a "movie night" with the friends I usually go to the cinema with. If it works out I'll report back.

We've all be finding ways to do things with other people online. The simplest is work related. I'm spending the mornings all this week (and half of next) in lengthy Skype meetings with my colleagues in Vietnam to see what the situation is like in their universities, and to talk about how our project is going and how we can continue moving forward (within the Covid19 limitations).

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 10 - A shopping spree

Freeedoooom!!!

Well, not quite. Walked about 3' to the trash containers to deposit my paper/cardboard, glass and reclyclables. Then walked around the block to the pharmacy, 5' tops, to pick up FOUR pair of disposable gloves (I put in an order last week, but since stocks are almost non-existent and the big numbers reserved for health care professionals and people working with the public - as they should be - they're only handing out a few pair at a time to individuals, at €0.50/pair), then another 1' to the grocery store, spent maybe half an hour in there, and then 5' walk home. So less than an hour out of the apartment, but still felt good to stretch my legs! Wind and rain be damned! 😜 (we've had foul weather since Saturday afternoon)

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 9 - Let's extend this shall we?

So President Sánchez announced today that he's going to ask Congress to extend the State of Alarm an additional two weeks, until April 11th.

No surprise there. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was later extended one or two weeks past that! One of the reasons he mentioned for the two week time frame, is to make sure the country is still locked down for Holy Week, one of the key holiday weeks in Spain with millions of people on the road to holiday homes, hotels, grandparents' etc. The last thing they want is to have paralyzed the country for several weeks, let people out and then have a new spike in infections and have it all been for nothing. And by Easter there will still be contagious people. And sadly enough people have proven they can't even follow the rules when it's the law and they're at risk of paying a hefty fine, so there's no reason to believe they would follow simple "recommendations" to stay home, especially after having been locked up for so long. 😔 One of the reasons I think it might go on past the announced extra two weeks (at least one more) is that about a third of the country (including us in Alicante and the rest of the Valencian Community) has its Easter break the week after Easter Sunday... so the same reasoning applies. 

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 8 - seriously people?!

Yesterday I talked about the mostly empty streets... today I want to rant about that "mostly".

Seriously people! How hard is it to STAY HOME!!! 😡

The police officer I talked to yesterday mentioned stopping and fining people out in the streets on Thursday with bogus excuses (bogus because all the grocery stores, pharmacies etc were closed because of the holiday). I keep seeing people sharing on Facebook articles from our local paper, or national newspapers, about the police in Alicante and elsewhere having to hand out fines for people disobeying the quarantine and not following the instructions of the State of Alarm. In Alicante alone the local police in one week have handed out over 100 fines to people and vehicles. Police yesterday also broke up 3 different house parties and in Barcelona the police apparently had to interrupt an orgy! In Madrid the local government has decided to take a page out of France's playbook and ask people for an sworn written justification of where they live, where they're going and why. The idea is to check the information later when they have time, because the police have been stopping so many people they don't have time to check people's data in the moment and decide whether a fin is required or not.

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 7 - empty streets?

Hard to believe it's been a week already. We seem to have lost all sense of time. There's before. And there's after. How long? No idea... I was talking to a colleague this evening, asking about her 2 week vacation in Mexico. She landed back in Spain just as all this craziness was starting. She said she could barely remember her trip, seemed like another life.

Although most people are starting to take the "not going out" more seriously, many others are still looking for ways to game the system. The police were more flexible last weekend and earlier in the week (another day I'll write about the dinosaur incident), but as of a few days ago they're starting to crack down on rule breakers, by for example asking "shoppers" to show the receipt for their purchases, or asking dog walkers for their ID and legal residence to check they aren't more than 2km away from their homes.

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 6 - not celebrating

A year ago today we were having a great lunch at the beach, happy a successful surgery was behind us, and hopeful about the radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions that were about to start. We were celebrating Father's Day (March 19th in Spain, coinciding with the Feast of Saint Joseph). I took my dad to the movies (Stan & Ollie) like I always did for Father's Day if I was home...

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 5 - still clapping

We're slowly developing new routines (well some of us... I haven't figured that part of the quarantine yet). Get up. Work (if you can). Plan /cook /eat meals. Some R&R. Some kind of physical activity. Maybe go out if you need something from the pharmacy, or the grocery store, or to take out the trash, or to take the dog for a short walk (just you alone, not other family members, no meeting up with other dog walkers). And at 8pm go out to the window or balcony and make some noise. 🔊

The evening applauses are still going on. No longer any need for chains of WhatsApp messages telling people, it's now part of the daily routine. It's just there are mixed sounds going out! There have been several message chains over the days, but none as clear or followed as the first (go out and clap for our health services and staff). There have been suggestions to go out and bang on pots and pans to thank the people who are working every day in the supermarkets. Or clap for the truckers who are keeping the supermarkets stocked. Suggestions to turn off the lights and use your cell phone's flash light as a way to commemorate the victims of the coronavirus (I noticed those for the first time last night)... So in the end it's a little bit of everything. And that's all right. It's just about coming together while staying separate.

#stayhome #quedateencasa #yomequedoencasa #restecheztoi

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 4 - Trashy St Paddy's

I wish I could say I woke up this morning, threw on some green, put some Irish music on and decided to party buuuut... well it's a work day! I know, lame excuse, right? 🙈 But at least I did make an effort with the green, and put out a goofy photo to try and cheer people up! And caught Bono's new song dedicated to the Italians on their balconies...

Funny thing is, today I was actually more excited about the TRASH!!! No, it's not weird! Not when it's one of the few "legitimate" reasons for one to be out walking in the street during this lockdown and state of alarm. 😉

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 3 - "back" to work

3rd day... let's see how long I can keep this up, shall we? 😉

First day working from home. Set up the home office (take over half the dining room table), start making a list of all the work pending from the various projects and priorities. Contact partners in other countries and see what the situation is over there. Compare notes (and exchange photos of working conditions) with colleagues and with other friends who are working from home. Commiserate or be jealous of the few friends who still "have to" or "get to" physically go in to work. Continue with coronavirus-related memes on WhatsApp, but at a much lower rate than over the weekend - you can tell we're all at least trying to work. 😜

Happy I brought the big screen and keyboard from the office and not stuck working on a 13'' laptop for 2+ weeks!

Not setting a foot outdoors. Haven't followed any of the "shut in" recommendations to set up some kind of daily routine (getting up, meals, work, physical activity of some kind, housework, R&R), must put that on my "to do list". Maybe. I'm not very good establishing routines...

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 2

2nd day, first full day "locked in". 

I've lost count of the number of times I had to plug my phone in to recharge!!! WhatsApp is on fire. Memes and messages being passed around back and forth. The really good ones you end up seeing half a dozen times in various groups. People commenting that they're already starting to have cabin fever. Parents wondering how they're going to survive 2 weeks (ha! good luck, will definitely be longer) locked in with their kids. Parents sharing tips on just how to do that... Websites with educational or cultural resources. Ideas for games indoors at home (most Spaniards live in apartments, and we're all extremely jealous right now of anyone who has a garden, Or a dog. My kingdom for a dog!!!).

For me? Well I decided to just pretend that it was a "lazy day Sunday" and do NOTHING. I mean really. Zero productivity. One of those Sundays that it feels really good to have once in a blue moon. Get up when I feel like it (11am). Spend the day in PJs. Have a big breakfast. Eat lunch/dinner when the stomach rumbles. Catch up on a show. On some reading. Watch a movie. Talk with my mom, my sisters. Gossip with friends.

Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 1 - and so it begins

So... it's here. The bloody virus that's had the world on edge since January has finally beaten Spain down, and forced our government to declare a "State of Alert" for the next 2 weeks... for now.

We had the situation under control. Or at least we thought we did (like most countries). 😔 The first case was a German tourist in the Canary Islands (who brought it with him) on January 31st. No cases among the people who were repatriated from Wuhan itself. The third case was another import to the Canaries, an Italian tourist, resulting in the quarantine of 1000 people in a hospital in Tenerife for 12 days from February 24th. The next day the first cases on the Peninsula, one each in Madrid, Barcelona, Castellón (just north of Valencia).  February 26th was the first "local" case in Seville, as in someone who got infected here in Spain. Then we find out that we'd already had a coronavirus death but just didn't know it! Autopsy of someone who did from "unknown" pneumonia on February 13th in Valencia... March 7th we learn that 60 people in the Basque Country caught the virus at a funeral...