It’s hard.
The foreign office in the UK is saying we should definitely leave China (but we can’t because we don’t have the right paperwork) but the exposure from flying would definitely be worse then we have now.
It’s hard.
The foreign office in the UK is saying we should definitely leave China (but we can’t because we don’t have the right paperwork) but the exposure from flying would definitely be worse then we have now.
“Daddy + Elise” Art therapy
Day 14
Medical Police’s account of a world wide virus is about the only one I can handle at the moment.
Also, I learned the phrase is self-isolation, not quarantine. We’re doing it badly though, but we gotta eat.
Also also. Day 14 tomorrow. We should have a party.
Half an hour, forty five minutes, sitting, playing with my phone, drinking a couple of beers and taking a breath.0
Before we were self-quarantined the problem was that I got no respite, I worked with small children all day and came home and had two small children of my very own. Now, that we’re preparing daily work for students while at home. It’s just, full on.
Your family is whichever motley crew of dysfunctional humans you love so damn much you would do anything for, including being driven crazy by them. Your family is your blood, or maybe not. Your family is the people that know you at your ugliest and least evolved. Your family is oxtail soup or rice congee or collard greens. Your family is your breaking point and your healing refuge. Your family is your best chance to be known.
Courtney Martin - Real talk on real families
It’s not even the first quote I wanted to quote but I got distracted clicking around and then ended up reading a second post of hers that ended with this. How families are not how everyone pretends they are.
The other post was about, ‘your first question’
Hearing about Day’s first, big question got me wondering about my own. What is the question that I asked as a little girl and have never stopped asking? How has asking that question defined, even if unconsciously, the choices I’ve made, the things I’ve created, the legacy I will leave behind?
When I have some time, it’s something I want to think about.
L went to get permits for the kids to leave China today but apparently they aren’t doing them until next week, the 10th, which is disappointing but not surprising. So, even if we wanted to leave we can’t, not yet anyway.
Empty road outside our flat. There’s never only 1 car on it.
This piece on why millennials are bad at hobbies is interesting, particular about how much harder it is to pick up new things as you get older.
There's a world outside. And I know, 'cos I've heard talk In my sweetest dream, I would go out for a walk. Not Ready Yet - The Eels
Fell over these lyrics again, it was always a favourite song but now, stuck inside as we are (day 11!), they have taken on a new meaning.
I did pay for Day One , the journaling app, but honestly, I never stick with it.
So, I have a glut of posts titled Day One. Which is me starting out, again. Me, starting over, because that’s ok. Even if I forget it a lot and have a tendency to beat myself up over things - particularly losing my patience.
Today is Day One again.
We are in the lucky position of having 2 small children while being stuck inside. So there’s posts floating round of, ‘things you can do with your children’ and now, ‘things you can do to be entertained and healthy’. The struggle is, for us the how to do both those things, with the added difficulty of the kids being the age they are.
I’d sit on the sofa and watch tv but anything I want to watch isn’t appropriate and trying to exercise/meditate/work/read/study/write is difficult when the other parent is struggling with the kids again.
So our free time is nap time and when they go to bed and invariably during those times neither of us has the energy to do much.
Enhance.
Clack, clack, clack. Feels like we’re on a rollercoaster but stuck on the first long ascent.
Wife went to get exit permits for the kids today but it was closed, so will have to wait till Monday. Lots of nervous talk amongst friends about whether to leave or stay. Just read that UK is starting to withdraw some Embassy and Consulate staff too.
How I’m doing. Two graphs on Day 10 to show effects of staying at home because of the Coronavirus.
Started preparing some things for students next week, since school is closed, and it was nice to be doing something finally! At least it distracts me from worrying about the virus situation. The problem is going to be fitting in working around them.
Occurred to me as I was chatting to a friend, the longest one of us has been out of the flat in the last 7 days is 90mins. Which was when I went to the supermarket.
Since we ‘trapped’ at home at the moment, I made this for my wife and I. A voucher for some free time. With having two, and the ages they are. It’s all hands on deck most of the time. Which we are finding stressful, coupled with the stress of worrying about the situation.
My vote don’t count - Aimed at America but plenty of takeaways for others too, about the importance of voting. As a Brit there’s plenty of things about America that worry me. Yet, there’s still so many things that are amazing. Hopeful we’ll get to visit this summer though.
It’s an interesting thought, I read on an email called Digitally Well, that I now pretty much lurk on the internet. How that wasn’t true before Twitter and Facebook when forums and smaller sites were a think. I don’t know what changed. Did I just get old?
I read this story on Reddit a long time ago. It’s the story of a man getting help with his tire. A nice, reminder that there is good in the world. Anyway, someone made a video of it- today you, tomorrow me . #Onions
Day 5 of trying to not leave the flat in China. Still a constant battle to keep the kids entertained and find a little time for ourselves too. Though, it seems like supermarkets have veg now (they didn’t), which is something.
With the Coronavirus, the foundation I work for has shut their schools in mainland China. We were due to go back to work on the 3rd but now will go back on the 17th. We’re planning to not go if we can help it but it means we’re ‘trapped’ at home…
When they lead with the you looking sheepish…
