If there’s one thing that’s come from this whole Coronavirus (Covid-19) “End Of The World” situation, it’s that I am suddenly inspired to blog again. Mostly because while everyone else seems to get a few weeks off, I still have to work. Indulging in a bit of something-something that’s just for me seems a brilliant idea. And so, here goes nothing!

A Great Start To Spring 2020

The first day of Spring came just like any other first day of Spring – the sun was out bright and early, the sky was just the right shade of “summer is just around the corner”, the trees were starting to flower, my allergies were flaring! The only difference, everything was semi-isolated. People had only just started to talk about how serious this Novel Coronovirus strain was going to be. With Spain and Italy going into complete lockdown, and India grounding all international flights, people stopped forwarding the 500th Covid-19 parody song, and started stockpiling essentials. 

The first day of Spring was also the day we had finally moved into Leeds, United Kingdom, our new home, marked by the fact that people had suddenly stopped talking about Brexit. 

Hmm. 

Leeds: Live It. Love It. 

I was fully counting on embracing this city slogan this 2020 but my plans have had to go on hiatus. Not that I’m complaining about having to stay home and not socialise but I can’t go out to explore as much as I’d have liked, which is a big bummer.

Random Facts To Annoy Your Self-Isolating Partner With: Leeds is called the London of the North, and is a twin city to Louisville (US), Dortmund and Siegen (Germany), Durban (South Africa), Lille (France), Brno (Czech Republic), and Hangzhou (China). 

However, I did get to go out and take in this AMAZING view of the cityscape – minus the teeming crowds!. Finally, the perfect setting to try out my new camera, and in my favourite photo style – sans people! 

However, a short walk away was an eerie and empty corridor that really brought to mind how quickly life could change thanks to the virus. Bear in mind that at this point, everything was still open. Boris Johnson, the venerable Prime Minister, had just terrified reassured people that everything was going to be fine. Hashtag Herd Immunity. 

My favourite line from his speech was “It is going to spread further and I must level with you, I must level with the British public, many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.” 

Very reassuring, Boris. Very reassuring. No wonder there is a demand for dog chew toys inspired by you. 

Cafe Warnings

We saw these signs put up in a few cafes and restaurants around town. And although these were only less than a week ago, it’s hard to imagine how quickly life has changed since then. Pubs, schools, restaurants, non-essential services have all shut down. And the mister has been sent to work from home. I’m not sure what’s more hair-raising – the virus itself or having to share a space with him 24×7 for the foreseeable future! YIKES! 

Feeling Green

And so, my panic shopping included buying potted plants (Leeds had long since run out of toilet roll and kitchen staples like rice and pasta). One of my dreams about moving to the UK, and working on somewhat of a more stable life, was to own some plants. And while the circumstances around buying it were less than ideal, it still was a step towards what I’ve been dreaming of for the past 6 years.  Three cheers for ticking something off the bucket list, even in pandemic times! 

Hope

As hard as I am on homosapiens, and our collective stupidity, I can’t help but love-hate our species. And while I’m not going to go all Eat, Pray, Love on you, it’s important to remember that we have this unbeatable ability to persevere. While I am unable to visualise what life will be like at the end of this all, I know we’ll see each other on the other side of the pandemic. 

And this time, we can watch the sunset over cityscapes without having to be 6 feet apart! 

Until then, stay safe xx

P.S. I got a new phone, and so this was mostly a chance to show off my photos and pretend I’m some sort of professional. What? We all have our fantasies! Leave me to mine!