A family of sparrows have nested in the drainpipe above my bedroom window. I see mum and dad flying to and fro it all day everyday. I can’t see the nest or the chicks, but I hear them. As soon as the parents return the cute and desperate chorus of the hungry arise. They’re my... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 67
Since lockdown started, I’ve made sure to call my dad every Friday during my morning walk. It’s now the social highlight of my week. We have never found it difficult to talk, my dad and I, but we have at times found it difficult to agree and sometimes extremely difficult to get on. After a... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 61
61 days. 23 hours a day spent at home. My motivation for cleaning, DYI, life admin and other household jobs is minimal. My motivation for escape is gargantuan. I've finished reading Blå by Maja Lunde, and am now watching The Last Dance on Netflix. It brings me back to the Saturday mornings of my childhood... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 52
Was I born too late? The world was already on an irreversible trajectory of doom – of illness, destruction and death – when I was born. Perhaps I’m the last of my kind. My generation were told that the world belonged to us; we were the ones who were allowed to work with anything, study... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 36
Conversations and imaginings of how the lockdown will end have started floated around. How does it end, for it not to end in a new beginning of a new wave? Germany, Norway and Denmark, even parts of Spain, have started easing the rules. Parts of East Asia are returning to normal, while Singapore have had... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 35
Someone killed Benny the Bunny. The culprit is still at large, but I can assure his sacrifice was not for nothing. Today has been a social day. I've spoken to a friend on furlough who is struggling with routine, sleep, purpose, and weight. I advise her to find something to do, and at the... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 30
It's been a month. No wonder it's starting to feel normal. Writing about sea travel, looking at nautical charts of the North Sea, measuring distances and avoiding shallows. Sleeping better at night. I think I will find it hard to go back to the old normal when this is over. In world news, Trump... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 29
Were there always this many birds? Did they always sing this much? Or did I simply not hear them. Was the air always this fresh, this still, on an April morning? Was the neighbourhood this homely? Was there ever anything called 'rush' or 'busy'? What was I looking for at beaches, in pubs, in cafes... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 23
The PM is in intensive care, the Queen has spoken to her people, and it's not looking like it's easing up. I had a tarot reading yesterday for the year ahead, and the cards told me that April until June will be about hard work, persistence, honesty, balance. July till September will be about joy,... Continue Reading →
Distancing: Day 21
Today is my birtheve. For nearly a week my parents have sent me daily videos they've made of themselves making funny jokes. They've sang songs, played practical jokes, made sock puppets... They've clearly gone mad in their isolation, but strangely I feel closer to them than ever.
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