Anna and Jez Watch the News

Anna: Jez it’s starting!

Jez: bit early for Strictly to be on?

Anna: the news.

Jez: oooh no. Nuh-uh. Not watching that.

Anna: they’re announcing stuff today. Better to stay in the know? It’s like the Hunger Games, lack of spectatorship means worse punishments later.

Jez: nice try. You can tell me all about what they said later. And after Strictly. And after we catch up with the bat programme because it’s on at the same time as Strictly. And then there’s new Taskmaster.

Anna: shall I just let you keep ostriching and stop you before you accidentally break a rule instead?

Jez: *small voice* yes please.

Author’s note: I know I know. Not very cheerful for Halloween night. But I also just watched the news, against Jez’s better judgement. For the record, “the bat programme” is Inside the Batcave, and not about Batman.

For those in the UK who are ostriching from the news, I suggest keeping up with rules and restrictions on the gov.uk website. That way at least you can keep yourself in the clear without being exposed to the rest of the news.

Speaking of which, I wish friends in the US all the best ahead of your election. Friends in Turkey, is there a reliable place to donate towards relief in the aftermath of the earthquake?

Everybody, please take care of you and yours, and wash your bloody hands alright?!

Lockdown Dialogue 2

Jez: Anna look at this.

Anna: I’ve got dough-y hands, so unless it’s very important-

Jez: 21 have got visitors over again.

Jez: That’s not allowed.

Anna: Well it’s not recommended, but it’s not our job to police them if they’re taking things into their own hands. We’re just sort of Christmas-card-and-the-odd-parcel-delivery type of neighbours.

Jez: *ignoring* Now they’ve got the grandkids outside with pots and pans to clap for carers!

Anna: Come here and help me instead and leave them to it.

Jez: *muttering* Ridiculous, counter-intuitive…

Anna: Come on Jez.

Jez: And they’re straddling our drive.


Jez: Anna! Anna where are you going?!?!??!

(Written before the easing of lockdown, but you can imagine that both Jez and Anna have suspicions about that too…)

Lockdown Dialogue 1

Jez: Did you really have to swerve right into the road for that man with the dog earlier?

Anna: Well, we’re supposed to keep two metres away from all people not from our household.

Jez: It could have been dangerous.

Anna: I did look both ways quickly before I went onto the road though.

Anna: I suppose I’m just so British that I’d rather swerve into the middle of the road than hint at the other person to step aside or share the pavement or something.

Anna: Thanks for storming up to the man and shouting really loud in his face that there was plenty room to go around though. Even from two metres away, I was touched.

#Lockdown, one month in #covid19

Reflections from my “new normal” :

I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of working from home.

This has lead to some Lillian Moller Gilbreth-esque (or so I am told) experiments into exactly what I can fit into my 15-min breaks and 30-min lunch.

E.g. I can wash my hair at lunch without foregoing eating. I can vacuum one floor in 15 minutes. I can go to the bathroom, then fry an egg, then make tea, then eat the egg in 15-mins.

If you don’t know, I currently work in a call-centre environment. It is noticeable that some people don’t want to hang up at the end of calls, they just want to keep chatting to you.

Being Chinese-Swedish-English, I have been taking in information about the virus since it first emerged in China. Don’t ask me if I think any one country’s response is better. 1) there are too many socio-economic and cultural factors at play, and 2) they’ve all be annoying.

I dreamt about buying flour last night. I did get flour in my dream. Is there hope for reality?

Stay safe punks.