Quarantine Chronicles: Post 1

Warm greetings everyone! It's ok to send that because the sentiment is coming to you from 6,000 miles away for most people reading this post.

My absence on this blog would suggest a state of utter chaos and dismay in good ole Colombia, but that is not the case. The true culprits for my absence are working from home, "Tiger King," making a homemade Scrabble board, reading, and a lot of staring out the window wondering what fresh air feels like.

In all seriousness, this post is really meant to catch people up on what the situation is in Colombia (from my perspective) and to provide some insight as to how the quarantine life has been for me (also from my perspective). So I've reverted to the tried and true FAQ-style blog post to answer questions from friends and family members around the world have been asking me. So here we go!

Q: What is the coronavirus situation like in Colombia? Is it bad there?
A: Let me start with a disclaimer that I am not a doctor or expert, but I would say things are going ok, relatively speaking. The country as a whole (as of this writing session at 3:45pm on 13 April) has a little under 2,800 cases according to worldmeters.info. Here's more stats if you're into that sorta thing.

The government responded relatively quickly by shutting down schools and recommending people stay at home. Sometime around March 12 we stopped going to school in person and started official distance learning shortly after. Then, the government was planning to do a lockdown "trial" in which we would hunker in place for a long weekend, but that immediately turned into a 19-day lockdown. That has also been extended, so basically I have been under lockdown since mid-March. I think the rules are pretty reasonable: stay at home, if you need to go out protect yourself, and be quick if you need to do something.

I'm relatively pleased with the government's response to the pandemic and anticipate to be in lockdown for awhile longer. This extension is through the end of April, but I have a feeling that will be extended again.

It's certainly not ideal, but it is for the greater good. I have no problem playing my part to keep myself and others safe and healthy.

Q: Are they going to kick you out of the country?
A: I've received this question from a few people, and the answer is no. I am classified as a migrant, which means I have legal and lawful status in this country. If I were a temporary traveller or someone with a more limited visa, then maybe it would have been a good idea to leave. But I live and work here, so that is not necessary in my case.

Fun fact: international flights shut down weeks ago, but there have been humanitarian flights to return ex-pats to their countries of origin. If I really wanted to go back to the States, then I do have the opportunity to do so but at the risk of my health and others. So I'm staying put!

Q: So how are you keeping yourself busy? Write a novel yet? Learn to play the ukulele?
A: Wow, that's a loaded question. I've been surprisingly busy for someone confined to a 1 and a half bedroom apartment. Let's make a little list:

1. First and foremost, I've been working! You know, that whole needing money to do anything thing hasn't gone away and is quite literally the reason I came to this country. So I've been following my same school schedule online and having video chats with students to go over assignments and all that jazz. I've had to get creative with how we're doing some tasks, but it's making me a better, more creative teacher.
2. But you can't work all the time, so I've also been reading a fair bit. I have finished three books since I started lockdown: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. I'm working on Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino now.
3. For the first time, I've taken an interest in cooking. I figured it was about time. Notable dishes so far have been black-bean burgers, veggie lasagna with homemade sauce, chorizo hash with country style potatoes and veggies, and hummus. I am proud to admit that only one PBJ has been consumed.
4. Netflix. Duh. And I'm sure you have been too.
5. I've been running in the parking lot because I shouldn't go outside and can't go to a gym. The security guards find this funny but give me supportive thumbs up.
6. Lastly, I have rekindled an old hobby of learning the capitals of the world. I just finished brushing up on Asia and Oceania is next. I highly recommend if you are bored, like watching Jeopardy, and/or want to learn about the rest of the world.

Q: So the quarantine has been bringing the weird or creative side of people. Has this happened to you?

A: Well you assume that my weird side was ever in the shadows, which it has never been. But yeah, I think my creativity is getting me somewhere. 

Quick sidenote: I was supposed to be in Mexico now enjoying a marg on a beach called Playa del Carmen. Back to the point: in the bedroom, I have a large bed put up against a big window that gets the afternoon sun, which can get really hot like a beach. So instead of Playa del Carmen, I have created Playa del Cama (translation: beach of the bed). (Also I know that's not grammatically correct for Spanish, I did it for the pun)

I enjoy working, reading, and afternoon naps on Playa del Cama. But its best use has been for drying out my laundry. I don't have a clothes dryer here, so the air and sun are what gets my laundry dry. And Playa del Cama does not disappoint!

So yeah, maybe it was my weird and not creative side that invented this, but whatever. My laundry is super dry and I'm able to enjoy the sun. In truth, I was going to include a picture of today's wash but it's currently hailing so the effect wouldn't have been right. Maybe next time.

Q: Wait, didn't you have a birthday in the middle of this?

A: I did, and it was honestly not the weirdest birthday I've ever had. It was a lovely day, though, despite the lockdown. Lots of wonderful friends and family doing what they could to make it a good day for me.

Q: How are you doing?

A: Wow, thanks for asking. Probably could have started with that but here we are. I'm great. I've adjusted to lockdown life and don't mind it. Of course I'd rather be at school with my students, able to go to a restaurant with my friends, or even see my friends. But small sacrifices for the greater good seem like an easy trade off.

Q: Is this over now?

A: Yes! Thank you so much for reading my insanely long post. It was long overdue and I wanted to make sure people understood what life is like (from my perspective) in Colombia.

I hope you all are well too and staying safe! If you have any questions or want to Zoom for a hot minute, just let me know. I'll be a very captive audience for the next three weeks at least.