Lovely and reassuring here in Spain to have a long video call with my elder daughter and son-in-law today. They are both headteachers, now expecting to keep their schools open for key workers’ children and for vulnerable children. Weekends, too, and over what would have been the Easter holiday. Their elder daughter, Maisie, is in healthcare, so she is also in the midst of it. Their younger daughter is O level year, delighted to have no more German but also pleased at the idea of predicted results because hers have improved significantly as the school year has progressed. They seem very tired but remain cheerful and stalwart. Their main worry is that one or other of them becomes infected, then all must self isolate for the full period, which affects the work load and responsibility of others. Much more weighty decisions to make and responsibility to carry than I ever had in more than 40 years in teaching, headship and school inspecting.
Our kind friend, Nicky, who normally runs the Bistro restaurant near us, has been shopping today. As she is younger than we are, she has brought us vegetable essentials, pausing only briefly at our back door. We were running a bit short of fresh vegetables, although frozen vegetables, meat, eggs and milk are still sufficient in the fridge and freezer.
Jeanie my wife, prompted by Facebook, has just reminded me of the story of Noah and the Ark. He only took two of everything when he had his time of self-isolation: please remember that when shopping.
I’m actually going to venture out this afternoon. In my car. Half a kilometre down the road to the recycling skips. Can’t let the waste paper bin overflow and there is plastic and glass to recycle. The communal food waste skips (no individual rubbish bins here in Spain) are still being emptied daily. Then half a kilometre back home.
I’m still keeping an eye on the Statista.com web-site which reports daily about the virus in many places in the world. Spain has become a more infected place than Iran (if Iran’s reporting is correct), putting this country one notch higher up the list. Our autonomous region, Valencia, remains well below the average incidence for Spanish regions - 18.4 (Valencia) against 38.0 (Spain average) - and very well below the worst affected region which has 147.0 (La Rioja) and 101 (Madrid itself).
Re-assuring
Lovely and reassuring here in Spain to have a long video call with my elder daughter and son-in-law today. They are both headteachers, now expecting to keep their schools open for key workers’ children and for vulnerable children. Weekends, too, and over what would have been the Easter holiday. Their elder daughter, Maisie, is in healthcare, so she is also in the midst of it. Their younger daughter is O level year, delighted to have no more German but also pleased at the idea of predicted results because hers have improved significantly as the school year has progressed. They seem very tired but remain cheerful and stalwart. Their main worry is that one or other of them becomes infected, then all must self isolate for the full period, which affects the work load and responsibility of others. Much more weighty decisions to make and responsibility to carry than I ever had in more than 40 years in teaching, headship and school inspecting.
Our kind friend, Nicky, who normally runs the Bistro restaurant near us, has been shopping today. As she is younger than we are, she has brought us vegetable essentials, pausing only briefly at our back door. We were running a bit short of fresh vegetables, although frozen vegetables, meat, eggs and milk are still sufficient in the fridge and freezer.
Jeanie my wife, prompted by Facebook, has just reminded me of the story of Noah and the Ark. He only took two of everything when he had his time of self-isolation: please remember that when shopping.
I’m actually going to venture out this afternoon. In my car. Half a kilometre down the road to the recycling skips. Can’t let the waste paper bin overflow and there is plastic and glass to recycle. The communal food waste skips (no individual rubbish bins here in Spain) are still being emptied daily. Then half a kilometre back home.
I’m still keeping an eye on the Statista.com web-site which reports daily about the virus in many places in the world. Spain has become a more infected place than Iran (if Iran’s reporting is correct), putting this country one notch higher up the list. Our autonomous region, Valencia, remains well below the average incidence for Spanish regions - 18.4 (Valencia) against 38.0 (Spain average) - and very well below the worst affected region which has 147.0 (La Rioja) and 101 (Madrid itself).
Stay safe everyone. Keep studying!