OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Last night, I had a lovely dinner AND ate a whole bag of popcorn while watching an episode of Carter. So what.

Morning routines.

A pretty decent night, but waking up to the Cape of Storms doing its thing was quite scary. Even Mozart spent the day indoors. I saw him sneaking out once for about twenty minutes when the sun came out briefly, but then he was back in his nest under the desk in the back study.

A lazy day, much needed after another intense week of work. I watched way too much TV, but it was entertaining stuff and I feel all relaxed and my brain feels less busy.

27 June today. Three calendar months since 27 March, the beginning of our lockdown. It feels like a long time, but it actually isn’t – it’s not like we have lived through three years of war… Just three months of mainly sitting at home (at least that is what we were supposed to do to protect our and other people’s health and save lives). And when you think of it like that, it seems ridiculous how many people itch to ‘do stuff’. I know, I know: the economy, livelihoods, etc. I get it! I am not thinking of people who have very little choice in the matter whether they expose themselves to the risk of a Covid-19 infection or not. I am thinking of all of us – people like me – who have a choice and can mainly sit at home and keep themselves and others safe. It feels so simple, so why is it so difficult for so many? Why all the whining? Why not wear a mask? Why ignore all regulations and travel to distant places where there are no infections and risk bringing the virus to people living there? Why go to parties? Why want to engage in other risky activities?

I heard a few people ask on the radio about the reopening of dance studios. If you are a competitive dancer, sure – of course. But just for the fun of it? Dance is the one thing that all of us can also do in the solitude of our homes. I have two left feet and I dance at home all the time, alone, happily so.

When there is a safe alternative to an activity that used to be enjoyed in groups, at gatherings, and people still want to go back to the way it was before the pandemic at a time when we are registering thousands of new infections daily – that is what I find so difficult to understand.

Instead of whining and hankering for the way things used to be before the pandemic, why not invest our energies and creativity in finding ways of doing the things we love in a new – safe(r) – way while the pandemic is still raging all around the world? Covid-19 doesn’t seem to be eager to disappear from our lives anytime soon.

We are nearing ten million confirmed cases and half a million deaths worldwide. Half a million! How can anyone take numbers like this for granted?

I was listening to someone on the radio this morning being interviewed about the PSL returning to our stadiums and screens. The planned protocols for the resumption of play sound logical and caring – I had the sense that it is not only about business, sponsors and money; that there was an element of wanting to protect the people involved to the extent that this is humanly possible. At least the person interviewed exuded this attitude. It actually made me want to watch PSL for the first time ever, just to support the efforts portrayed in the interview. I look forward to following the story.

Highlights of the day: NZ rugby, delicious breakfast in bed, Skype with Mom and reading next to the fire.

Armchair travel at its finest.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Stay at home.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

With greetings from Austria from my brother and his partner.