Our tenth full day in the TRNC. Have noted in Cyprus Mail (South) that there are tourists being quarantined in a hotel near Kyrenia (here in the North). Really hoping that our self quarantine will retrospectively be considered satisfactory. So fingers crossed on no deportation. At present we are pretty well under the radar, and less threat to the world by staying put than travelling through multiple countries.
Have to say this would be a very different experience without wifi, in terms of communication and also of stimulation and entertainment. Have been reminded of British Journalist Anthony Grey, who spent 27 months in solitary confinement in the basement of his house, imprisoned by the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. Some of his later writing was a bit wingy, but the memoir Hostage in Peking (1970) is a remarkable account of over two years almost without contact and with extremely limited reading and writing opportunities. Early in his imprisonment he decided, with characteristic self-discipline, that he needed intellectual work - and proceeded to create, on small scraps of paper, crossword puzzles that would be good enough to sell on his release. And here we are, in self-isolation but also with each other and a whole internet full of books, music, journals and film. Hardly forgivable to do this without producing at least some mediocre prose - though we’ll probably manage.
An open backed truck selling produce proceeds slowly down our lane this morning, over the speed bump (which J accurately points out is deliberate, man-made) and sounds his horn a couple of times. The woman across, she of the pastries goes out to buy oranges and bananas and artichokes - a very fresh deep green, with long stems still attached. The driver goes to assist her. He’s wearing a face mask - sort of. It’s really just swaddling his chin. The pastry woman gives me a friendly wave.
Had for supper the portion of the cooked chickpeas that we didn’t try roasting in a vaguely Moroccan sauce based on diced tomatoes and tomato paste, cumin, garlic, cayenne, etc. On rice. Actually, a keeper, though. We’re lucky in that most of our usual cooking is done from basic ingredients and we know what to do with things like a packet of hulled barley (found in the cupboard). Though with the internet how could anyone not know. Finite overlap between spices in the kitchen here and those we use most frequently at home.
Have to say this would be a very different experience without wifi, in terms of communication and also of stimulation and entertainment. Have been reminded of British Journalist Anthony Grey, who spent 27 months in solitary confinement in the basement of his house, imprisoned by the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. Some of his later writing was a bit wingy, but the memoir Hostage in Peking (1970) is a remarkable account of over two years almost without contact and with extremely limited reading and writing opportunities. Early in his imprisonment he decided, with characteristic self-discipline, that he needed intellectual work - and proceeded to create, on small scraps of paper, crossword puzzles that would be good enough to sell on his release. And here we are, in self-isolation but also with each other and a whole internet full of books, music, journals and film. Hardly forgivable to do this without producing at least some mediocre prose - though we’ll probably manage.
An open backed truck selling produce proceeds slowly down our lane this morning, over the speed bump (which J accurately points out is deliberate, man-made) and sounds his horn a couple of times. The woman across, she of the pastries goes out to buy oranges and bananas and artichokes - a very fresh deep green, with long stems still attached. The driver goes to assist her. He’s wearing a face mask - sort of. It’s really just swaddling his chin. The pastry woman gives me a friendly wave.
Had for supper the portion of the cooked chickpeas that we didn’t try roasting in a vaguely Moroccan sauce based on diced tomatoes and tomato paste, cumin, garlic, cayenne, etc. On rice. Actually, a keeper, though. We’re lucky in that most of our usual cooking is done from basic ingredients and we know what to do with things like a packet of hulled barley (found in the cupboard). Though with the internet how could anyone not know. Finite overlap between spices in the kitchen here and those we use most frequently at home.
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