Corona - Confinement day 53 - Gradual de-confinement day 2

The whole weekend, we celebrated the 1st of May by cooking traditional Finnish delicacies. We also celebrated the last day of full confinement here in Belgium. From 4 May, the economy would be allowed to open (selectively) and from 18 May those Belgian schools, which are ready with the security measures, will open their doors. The measures put in place seem  complex: only the certifying classess will re-start with maximum 10 students at time, 1-2 days per week. Wearing a mask will be obligatory in public transport for adults and over 12 year olds. The confort mask is recommended. The social distancing remains in place. Teleworking is still recommended.

The European schools have announced that before 25 May nothing will take place. The parents association made a survey requesting our opinion if we would put our kids to school should it be volunteery. We answered negatively. I cannot imagine a school of 3000 students being able to organise the logistics within the requirements.

The press is considering various post-covid scenarios, ranging from Totalitarian leadership to community led collaborative societies with a common element: high un-employment and increased poverty. As an imminent reaction, people seem less willing to travel in short and medium term.

I wonder our little world and summer holidays. We want to go home. We have explored the alternatives: risks of taking the flights, if it becomes an option, the likely higher price of the tickets, driving ourselves and taking the boat for several nights, avoiding the boat and staying in hotels or even renting a mobile home. The mobile cars necessary for our size family are costly, around 1000 euros per week. It is a considerable budget for a 4-weeks holiday.

It could be, that our holidays will be in Belgium - by choice or obligation. The Belgian beach villages have voiced a concern on over-crowded beaches in the coming summer and intelligent solution - to limit the beaches to local tax payers only. This option has not been much appreciated in the Belgian press.

SO here we are, in front of yet another great challenge to let go of any need to control and plan - because it is not necessarily leading to any desirable outcome - but surrender to what is, in every rolling new moment.

Corona - Confinement day 33

The national security council announced today to (expectedly) prolong the confinement until the 3rd of May. But with a wonderful bonus - the garden shops will open their doors😀 I love the logic! The press is already discussing about the possible re-start of schools in May with progressive opening of bars, restaurants and other activities. All mass festivities will be however cancelled until 31 August included. Distance work should be prioritised until further notice.

 Ouf! I think we would very much appreciate to regain our liberties. What do I miss? Inviting friends over, going out to dinner with my husband. Letting my kids go visit friends. Going to my bakery and chocolate shop, chatting with the pharmacist and florist. Most importantly, buy my summer tickets to go to Finland and Estonia.

At the same time I feel already slightly fearful of the new normal.  To what extend have we changed and will the habits stay?  Will be consume, rush, stress and travel less? Will we keep up with the daily sports routine? Will we remember to cherish all the more the connection and moments with our loved ones? Will we remember to be grateful, everyday, for waking up healthy and safe? I know for sure, I have a list of items I will miss from these hazy days of confinement. I will miss being with my family. All the time. I will miss the slower pace of the days, the slower mornings, later evenings. I will miss the feeling of solidarity and closeness between family, friends and neighbours despite the physical distance. I will miss the silence. The amazing peacefulness outside. And yet, the amazing orchestra from the birds making their spring happen. The emptiness of streets. The clean, fresh air without the car pollution. Our bike rides in the evening with the kids, with safe roads. In honesty, it has been in many ways a dream come true for a country and nature lover as myself. It will be difficult  to move on from this.

Corona - Confinement day 28

My anxiety melt away with the wonderful sunny days of over 20 degrees Celsius. Summer is here! And Easter! And my youngest daughters Birthday tomorrow! It is party time! On the other hand, yesterday I was tempted to play music in the garden, but I felt the gesture suddenly inappropriate. Are we allowed to entertain and feel happy during pandemic? An old Finnish wisdom came to my mind stating “Who has happiness, should hide it carefully”. For the obvious reason not to create jealousy in neighbours. My children are high on happiness. Being together 24/7 has created an unprecedented bonding and their teasing, laughter, giggling is impossible to contain within the walls of our house. We consider this being wonderful, the old lady next door less so. So I should probably save also the music for later. That’s a little sacrifice though, we have had a really fun day today anyways. A chocolate egg hunt, playing in the pool, bike ride and I even managed to squeeze a yoga session in during the nap of little ones. We are preparing for tomorrow’s big day. My eldest had free hands to bake a birthday cake for my youngest, she chose carrot cake. I am so proud of her 😀 I spent 2 hours baking a traditional Finnish savoury pastries, the “Karelian pies” and thanking silently my grandmother whose heritage the receipy was, I felt connected to her. My girls came to the kitchen and helped to create the wrinkles to the pies. The tradition passes on. I feel happy. I don’t feel like hiding it.

Corona - Confinement day 24

For the first time during the confinement, I slept poorly. A few weeks ago we decided with my husband to order our groceries online with home delivery. It seemed the right decision given the contamination risk in the shops and the stressful atmosphere. The disadvantages have started to emerge: for two consecutive weeks we receive 2/3 of our list. Among sold-out items baking flour and toilet paper. No toilet paper whatsoever in all of Carrefour! Above all, we receive only 1/2 kg of apples for the full kg paid. It is not worth a return trip, but my husband thinks somebody is taking their share from between. I complement our shopping by ordering vegetables directly from farm. Even there I receive only 6 eggs for the ordered 12. “To rationalise” explains the guy selling. I wanted to reply to him they should take into account the family size, but in fear of no eggs I accept my 6 eggs gratefully. We are only one month into the confinement and the supply chains are already breaking. I start to wonder what will happen in 6 months, as some sources have estimated the lock-down to continue..Sensitive items will likely include imported fruits, nuts, oils perhaps also medication. We start making a list of essentials. It seems surrealistic. For my husband this is a deja-vu, having lived until young adult under the Soviet regime. Survival and living from scarcity is deep-rooted. He calls his mother for inspiration. She shares her experience of how they got through the worst years. When the flour was nowhere available, she used soaked pasta to make pancakes for the kids. I feel the rising need for self-sufficiency. Green house. We placed the order last week. I call mom for advice for cultivation. She is a pro in self-sufficiency, regardless of the rural northern latitude of my childhood house and garden. Cherry Tomatoes, salads, herbs..We don’t have much space, but it will be a start. It also gives me an empowering feeling that we are anticipating. In the evening, we watch you tube channels on families living off-grid. They are amazing.

Corona - Confinement day 18

 “Days go by as in a dream” said my husband today. I agree. The only way I keep track of time is the awareness that I was cleaning the house for the 3rd time in a row, hence it must be the 3rd week of confinement starting..I am not complaining though. We live in a wonderful semi- holiday mode: I have taken off my alarm clock and sleep uninterruptedly through the night. In most mornings I wake up at 8:00, the kids 8:30 (Really). I practice some yoga or go for a run, kids get to watch some cartoons even though not a weekend. We eat breakfast at 9:00 and start school and workday at 9:30. Our baby girl has trouble not being in the centre of attention. She has a very loud and disturbing way to show this. Often I end up holding her on my lap while doing the math with my second one and trying to enjoy my coffee.

Around 11:00 we go all out for a walk. We have a new favourite trail. I like it particularly, because it passes through a wonderful, peaceful one-way street with an amazing piece of land on sale. I let my dreams fly. Even the neighbours seem nice and considerate. Yesterday we noticed a signpost in front of one of the houses. I read a letter from the Directrice of a Centre for children annexed to the University hospital. She would like to collect toys for the 9 children currently in the premises, who are not allowed to go to the play room due to the Covid-19. I explain this to the kids and in the evening we prepare a bag of toys no longer played to be given to the Centre. The kids are very excited with the idea.

Overall, the circumstances have woken up a solidarity among people I never saw before. One of the most touching events takes place every evening at 20:00, when people go out to balconies and gardens and pay tribute to the hospital staff on their bravery. Yesterday evening we took the kids out to our street and it was very emotional experience to see the windows, doors and gardens filling with people applauding. On the other hand, this has created some negative reactions among the hospital staff as well. One interviewee claimed he feels furious by this gesture and considers it pretentious as majority of the people applauding them now have voted of a party behind the biggest cuts on healthcare in Belgium. I hope change will take place.m

Corona - Confinement day 5

7:20 am. The house is silent. Or did I hear something from the kids room? I decide it was the birds tsirping outside. Very silently (and skillfully,) I tip toe down the stairs, put my jogging gear on and step into the morning sun. The air, the sounds, the whole neighbourhood seems different, it is as if the nature has taking over. I can actually hear our peacock living in the park and sparrows fighting for their breakfast. I feel good. Free! Not confined at all. It will start today at noon. Only essential outings are allowed, and sports. We are fine with food and medication, but there is one place I would to go in the morning: the garden shop. Apparently I am not the only one having their salads in mind. The shop informs us they have to limit the people coming in and lines are already formed at 9 am outside. I will wait for the delivery service starting tomorrow.

My wonderful, good-humoured children wake up and we start homeschooling. Today, everybody wants mom to give instructions. I feel popular, but annoyed after a while, there is little progress. I take my eldest upstairs and we continue with Math. What do we have today? Calculations from fractions into decimals and vice versa. I feel a silent relief, I can still do this! I hear my husband is struggling with the middle ones down-stairs. Did I hear swearing? It is time for a break. I give the kids a small chocolate egg for the work well done (is this lying?) We go for a bike ride, again. This time there is little less whining. People are lining in front of shops, keeping well a distance. People are even lining for flowers!

I feel a bit ashamed to say, but we spent a wonderful spring afternoon in the sun. Girls finished their homework, played Cranium, cared for their rabbits. I have a call with my mom while enjoying the sun. I see my childhood garden in beautiful snow. In the evening I call my sister on the other side of the Ocean. They are so far, yet they seem to be so close.

It is all in the mind. We can keep our loved ones in our hearts despite how far they are. We can also create the feeling of space and freedom if we choose to do so.

Corona - Semi-Confinement day 4

”Today was actually like during summer holidays mom!” noted my eldest in the evening when thinking back on the day. I agreed. Beautiful sunny day. After home schooling, we prepared our bikes and went for the first bike ride this spring. Fantastic weather and we all had a thrill. I was thanking myself for having invested a small fortune for good quality bikes, they served well now. After lunch we prepared the garden for the season, my husband washed the terraces, I removed last leaves, even washed the windows. Kids played all afternoon out in the sun, having a jump on the trampoline and climbing on their tree cabana. I was thanking ourselves again for having a garden, being able to go outdoors, in whatever direction the situation would go as to the confinement. In Italy people open the windows of their little apartments, play music and dance together.

We watched a Finnish movie last night, about the life of a popular old-time singer “Kari-Tapio”. Despite the bad language and heavy drinking, I felt missing Finland. I think the home sickness is also a reaction to the closing of borders, you miss what you cannot have.

I just read the news, the Belgian newly formed Government has decided to move to phase 3 and from tomorrow Wednesday 18 March from noon, until April 4 Belgium will be in full confinement. People may go to the supermarket (alone), pharmacy and doctors. And do sports, ouf! That’s fine, we will manage this too. I have not created an addiction for a Saturday shopping sprint, clubbing or restaurants. Life will not change dramatically.  I can, however, imagine for some, these limitations will be major. It will be interesting to see how the society takes this. Will they reach for the bottle or use time as an opportunity to do something constructively: get to know their families, themselves, developing new skills and overall taking better care of themselves. I am thinking of all the super parents rushing their daily routines and suddenly there is no rush. No urgency. This event, in all its sadness is an opportunity for all of us to pause.