11:37 p.m. - Monday, Mar. 16, 2020
Lockdown!
Well.
Things have changed. It's a month since I got back from Chicago. Looks like I made my trip just in time. So glad I got to take a trip before this Coronavirus madness kicked in.
I'm locked down in Madrid. I can't leave the flat except to get food and medicine. It was officially enforced today but we've been doing it since Friday night most of us.
It's so weird. I'm still trying to come to terms with it. It's scary when I think about the implications and it also feels very dystopian. Watching the news all day doesn't help though I am learning a lot of Spanish.
There are a lot of cases here. 4th country with most. I am praying they get it under control soon. Until we get over the peak my anxiety is going to be rising every day. I'm actually calmer than I was three weeks ago when I was at my friend's place freaking out and worrying about leaving it too late to stockpile. She thought I was over reacting. Then she returned from a trip to Granada and tried to shop last Wednesday and the shelves were empty. She came back with some weird biscuits, seitan and some Chinese leeks.
The UK's response is woeful. They aren't taking it seriously or just want to kill off 5% of the population. It's quite sinister. Evil actually.
My parents are being told to self isolate for 12 weeks along with all the older folk. It feels like I won't see my family ever again. I don't really know what's happening. But at least they get to keep their free TV licence. Good ol' Boris. Honestly. Today he held a press conference saying this along with asking people not to go to the pub but he's not going to close them. So they won't get insurance payouts and will go bankrupt. Evil.
It feels like I'm being slowly sucked through a wormhole into an alternate reality. It's going to be a very different world after this. God knows how long this will last. Encouragingly China's cases are falling. But we're not China. People don't obey so good here.
I think I'm developing Stockholm Syndrome with Pedro Sanchez and it's only day 3. Nice contrast to Boris, easy on the eye though not my type.
It's strange how this is happening now when I was planning to stay home a lot and paint. It's lifted the anxiety I had about looking for work. I have no choice but to stay home and paint. I am going to order a practice amp for my guitar and get really good for when I am out. I had just joined a band with my mates from my old house. I'm guitar and vocals. I'm terrible but it's so much fun. We're doing punk. Last week I sang in Spanish English punk style a song we made up with Pedro's lyrics. I'm going to miss my band rehearsals.
