Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 22

We stumbled in the darkness for about three weeks, but it looks like we’re taking the first painful steps toward recovery. Part of this return to normalcy involves the gradual reopening of society once the pandemic has fallen under our control. This has understandably been at the forefront of many of us who have been on strict lockdown for three weeks now. Everyone is wondering how much longer we’ll be confined and what opening things back up will look like. You’re probably wondering the same thing, wherever you might be reading this from.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraApril 4, 2020coronavirus, covid-19, lockdown, catalunyaComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 20

Life, in most cases, will test all of your relationships sooner or later. Marriages, friendships, perhaps even familial ties – these will all be subject to the trials and tribulations that seemingly go hand in hand with our very existence. Whether it’s the death of a loved one, problems with a spouse/partner, unexpected difficulties, or one of the many financial woes that one can fall victim to, it seems quite probable that you will one day see the true mettle of your relationships. Nearly three weeks into our government-enforced lockdown in Spain (and who knows how many weeks we have left), I’ve been thinking about how my relationship with my husband has shifted and evolved since the coronavirus pandemic interrupted our lives.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraApril 2, 2020marriage, coping, support, silver lining, coronavirus, covid-19, pandemic, catalunyaComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 19

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic broke out in Catalonia, I’ve become fascinated with what influenza pandemic was like in 1918. As is often the case with historical events, things tend to move in a circular fashion: what happened once tends to happen again in a different form.

To that end, I translated an article that I ran across that summarizes the efforts to contain the 1918 flu pandemic, and which also includes interesting remedies recommended by the authorities of the time. For this post, I focused on the town of Sabadell, which is located about 30 kilometers from Barcelona (and about 15 minutes from Cerdanyola). History, like always, has a lot to teach us, and more importantly, can also offer us comfort in uncertain times.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraApril 1, 2020catalunya, 1918, covid-19, coronavirus, spanish influenza, historyComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 12

Today marks a dozen days of desolate streets. This coming Friday will mark two weeks since things accelerated very quickly all over Spain due to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve spent 95% of that time indoors, adhering to the strict regulations in place during the government-enforced lockdown. And though the state of emergency is due to expire on April 11, and the confinement is due to end on April 13, the feeling among most folks is that it will most likely be extended until the end of April. Spain, which has as of today surpassed China in terms of the death toll, has an astounding 47,610 cases of coronavirus, of which 9,937 are in Catalonia.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraMarch 25, 2020community, cerdanyola, catalunya, covid-19, coronavirus, applause, neighborsComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 7

Today started out rough. Perhaps it was the sunshine streaming in through my living room windows on today, the first full day of spring. Or the news that California had also ordered its citizens to stay at home, sparking another silent shower of worries inside of me. Was it the news coming from Bergamo in Northern Italy, where the cemeteries have run out of room for the dead, and where even funerals are forbidden? (And even when exceptions are made, the attendees are not allowed to embrace one another.) Moreover, footage was released of 15 military trucks transporting coffins with coronavirus victims directly to the crematorium. These, I am certain, are all things that will always be with me, and that I shall always remember the dark winter of 2020.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraMarch 20, 2020cerdanyola, catalunya, covid-19, coronavirus, militaryComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 6

Lots of people have asked me how I’m keeping sane in this government-enforced lockdown. How does one deal with the inescapable anxiety about everything from your physical well-being to your financial security to whether you’ll be able to find fresh fruit at the grocery store the next day? How does one “take the edge off” when you have to stay indoors, especially today, the first day of spring which was so bright and beautiful it felt almost cruel?

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraMarch 19, 2020catalunya, coronavirus, lockdown, faith, pope francis, copingComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 5

Time, perhaps unsurprisingly, has taken on new meaning during this government-enforced lockdown. Today, for example, is Wednesday. In a parallel universe, in a now imaginary world where the coronavirus does not exist or where, at least, all this never happened, my family and I would be on our tour of the Vatican Museums right about now. Perhaps we’d be straining our necks to admire the frescoes in Raphael’s studios or contemplating Caravaggios. Or waiting our turn in the museum’s bustling marble halls to enter the hallowed space that is the Sistine Chapel.

But in this world where coronavirus reigns supreme and where it’s the only thing we can talk about, it may as well be any other day of the week. Wednesday looks the same as Monday and Sunday cannot be distinguished from Tuesday. Time bends, time is malleable, but during this pandemic time seems to demand an exact accounting of itself.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraMarch 18, 2020catalunya, coronavirus, lockdown, covid-19Comment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 4

It’s hard to strike a balance between feeling anxious (should we ration more? what if we lose our jobs? what if one, or both of us gets sick?) and wanting to stay positive (things will work out and you won’t lose your jobs; don’t worry, they’ll restock the grocery shelves; you and your loved ones will stay healthy). I cope how I can: working to keep my mind off of my worries; reading books that give me perspective (the Defoe book I mentioned last time, as well as a collection of stories by Lucia Berlin) and help me change the subject; and I find the time to videochat with friends in the U.S. and here in Europe.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraMarch 17, 2020catalunya, covid-19, coronavirus, lockdownComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 3

The government-enforced lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain is still in full effect, and today there was talk of extending it even longer. In all reality, we’ll probably be hunkered down for a month, at least, possibly even six weeks. I do not know how to process that in my present state of mind, to be honest with you. I’m sure I’ll adjust (what choice do we have?) and that we’ll find a way through, but the idea of being stuck at home really does start to weigh on you.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraMarch 16, 2020catalunya, covid-19, lockdown, coronavirusComment

Life in the Times of Coronavirus: Lockdown Day 1

Everything was fine until it suddenly wasn’t. Until Wednesday, March 11, the situation was relatively calm in Catalonia: people washed their hands more often and there was a general sense of concern, but other than that you couldn’t really tell that any serious disruptions to our lives were about to take place. The cafés were still brimming with retirees browsing newspapers; children were still being rushed off to school or soccer practice; the supermarket shelves were fully stocked and the usual people milled about, dropping stuff into their carts; museums and movie theatres and gyms were all open, though with reduced numbers. The government kept insisting that though infections were on the rise, things were relatively under control.

Et CeteraCarlos CabreraMarch 15, 2020lockdown, covid-19, coronavirus, catalunyaComment