The lockdown slows and simplifies life. Little activity on our road so we notice what there is. The odd person going round the corner to the small grocery shop and returning a few minutes later with a small plastic bag, blue or pink, of their purchases. And the small dramas of the animal kingdom. Three cats, two related one not, in low key competition for small bit of food tossed out by neighbours. Ginger cat gives up after being edged out by two greys. Leaves to roll in long grass. Much affectation of advancing on food whilst appearing to be uninterested. Bird approaches isolated fragment indirectly. Well aware of cats but no eye contact. Does everything except whistle a tune advertising own irrelevance. Cats ignore. Bird seizes large bit of food and flies off.
Human drama a little later. The produce truck comes by slowly as we’re sitting on the steps. Announces presence with horn and a couple of women come out. Clearly legal as there are stiff fines for lockdown violations. And our 14 days’ self isolation ends today, though technically not for a couple of hours. So we make our first purchases in days, with no clear idea what prices are likely to be. Presumably good, though as the two women filling bags seem pleased and are likely to know. All of us duly spaced out around the truck. So we buy a few onions, potatoes, oranges and mushrooms. Twenty-five Turkish lira. Roughly €3.50, $5.50 CAD, £3.30. Turkish lira struggling, but no more, recently, than the Canadian dollar or the pound sterling. Only the euro holding its own despite all the prophesies of doom. Well, they can’t all go down at once.
Last noted the truck on Friday and no idea whether it comes twice a week or indeed whether the schedule is regular. We’re always home at this stage, but not always out on the steps.
And a few minutes later while I am washing up our friendly woman from across the way comes over and gives J a small container of homemade humus. Accomplished from two metres away? Lovely and lemony.
Iphone pings. Message reading: Your chance to help. Government seeks 250k NHS volunteers as death toll rises. Wrong location, wrong citizenship, wrong age group, but right mobile SIM card. Don’t suppose there’s much chance of a government apology for having decimated the NHS. Pretty desperate mass messaging.
Human drama a little later. The produce truck comes by slowly as we’re sitting on the steps. Announces presence with horn and a couple of women come out. Clearly legal as there are stiff fines for lockdown violations. And our 14 days’ self isolation ends today, though technically not for a couple of hours. So we make our first purchases in days, with no clear idea what prices are likely to be. Presumably good, though as the two women filling bags seem pleased and are likely to know. All of us duly spaced out around the truck. So we buy a few onions, potatoes, oranges and mushrooms. Twenty-five Turkish lira. Roughly €3.50, $5.50 CAD, £3.30. Turkish lira struggling, but no more, recently, than the Canadian dollar or the pound sterling. Only the euro holding its own despite all the prophesies of doom. Well, they can’t all go down at once.
Last noted the truck on Friday and no idea whether it comes twice a week or indeed whether the schedule is regular. We’re always home at this stage, but not always out on the steps.
And a few minutes later while I am washing up our friendly woman from across the way comes over and gives J a small container of homemade humus. Accomplished from two metres away? Lovely and lemony.
Iphone pings. Message reading: Your chance to help. Government seeks 250k NHS volunteers as death toll rises. Wrong location, wrong citizenship, wrong age group, but right mobile SIM card. Don’t suppose there’s much chance of a government apology for having decimated the NHS. Pretty desperate mass messaging.
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