Lockdown survivors’ guide

In the last two weeks I have written two long and very serious pieces about how people and the world are responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. I will write another – to keep a promise. The first was ahead of the lock down.

Half way there?

South Africa is halfway through the period initially set for the country’s lock down. It’s not impossible that we might be forced to stay at home for longer than the 21 days that take us to just after Easter.

Last week, I reflected on how learning to live alone (again) and working from home can be applied to an enforced stay at home.

Ahead of our shutdown and all over the world, it seems, people’s brains fell out of their heads. I know mine did. I went shopping to discover no chicken to be had and when I got home, I added another packet of cornflour to the two (!) already there, among other crazy things…

Really?

Anyhow, as I said, we’re half way through our compulsory stay at home and the weather’s turning.

It occurred to me, now that we’re settling into a rhythm, to follow-up to my survivor’s guide to load shedding with a kinda, only half, tongue-in-cheek survivor’s guide to an enforced stay at home.

Fiona’s lock down survival guide

• Pray the Internet never goes down.
• Save toilet paper.
• Ration the wine. *
• Cut your own hair. If you must. But don’t do it in anger.
• Stop smoking when the ciggies run out. *
• Every time you see an item is nearly finished, put it on the shopping list – just in case you lose your brain again when you shop.
• Save toilet paper.
• Learn to make natural yeast (see the last but one point).
• Send your friends virtual flowers.
  
• Share a virtual toast – only one sip – with the guys and gals who are independently locked down.
• Learn to cook without wine.
• Hold a virtual dinner party: sharing pictures of one’s food is a sure fire way that they visit (or stay away) after lock down is lifted.
  
• Try not to kill mother. Uncle Richie died. Auntie Doris is still alive.
• Save toilet paper.

* In South Africa, the regulations prohibit the sale of alcohol and tobacco.

Until next time, be well
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa

Photo: Selma

Post script

• This is my cheeky entry into this month’s @yourtop3 contest – now on Hive.
  And before I get into more trouble, here is the list of my actual three must-haves while staying at home: Internet access, toilet paper, and, of course, wine! No explanations required….
  Read more about this month’s contest here
• I’m participating in blogpal @tracyork’s April challenge of sharing a post every day during April – on the Hive blockchain. I succeeded last year – on Steemit from which the new blockchain “hived off”… and…
• It seems a good way to constructively use the time during a compulsory lock down, right? For more about this initiative, please check out Traci’s post.

• If you’d also like to both join the challenge and post from the WordPress platform to the Hive blockchain, sign up here.