Stuck in an Apartment lalalala

3/18/2020

We've been laying low as much as possible for about a week, but yesterday was the first day of complete isolation. I don't actually know many people in this city, so I'm not really missing out on socializing, but I'm definitely missing the tacos and cantinas and museums.

I'm spending my time in a two bedroom apartment in the heart of Mexico City's historic district. Despite its picturesque location, the building looks more Soviet bloc than Colonial. The windows face interior courtyards as deep as canyons. To discern the weather, or even the time of day, I have to stick my head out the door and crane my neck.

On Tuesday we went out to look for rubbing alchohol and paper towels. Ironically, stepping out the building made me feel instantly claustrophobic because suddenly we were in a throng of people. Street vendors choke the sidewalks and people wander in large groups. In short, life goes on as usual, although we did think we noticed a decrease in traffic, and I saw a few people with face masks.

I had a surreal feeling of disconnect between the news, messages from friends in the U.S. and Europe, and the reality around me. We're hearing reports from Jalisco, where the state government seems to be taking the situation seriously, but the Mexican federal government seems to be doing very little and I fear that things are going to go from "normal" to terrible very quickly here.

So far my plans for staying sane include reaching out to friends, recording my experiences, doing a virtual writing workshop with my cousin Hannah, and watching one episode of ALF dubbed into Spanish per day.

27 Comments

Hannah

3/19/2020 09:28:42 am

Thanks for this, and what a great idea. I have been self-isolating for 9 days. I’ve left my house twice: once to pick up my son from the train station and once at 10am yesterday when we decided with our neighbors to go outside for a few minutes and wave or talk to one another at a safe distance of 5-10 yards away.

Churpa

3/19/2020 09:38:02 am

Wow. That's impressive! How are you staying entertained? (Other than amazing writing assignment.)

3/19/2020 08:11:04 pm

Tonight I had my very first virtual happy hour with three friends. We logged into Zoom, poured beverages, and checked in with one another, told jokes, and shared news. It felt remarkably good. Like we were in person, except my friends appeared blurrier (I didn't wear my glasses), and the camera focused on one of them at a time and not always on the person speaking, so that was weird. The scarier thought that occurred to me after it was over was what if this becomes normal? IRL, if we had gotten together one of us or two of us would have driven 45-mins to an hour to get to the other's house, and another 45 minutes home; the virtual get together was remarkably efficient. I socialized with them, felt the warmth of their humor, and then logged off. The whole experience lasted 45 minutes and I marveled at our efficiency. What if, this is the new normal? What if, after the pandemic, we all keep socializing on line? It sounds unthinkable, but maybe it's not. Maybe it will start to seem a lot like how I view working at home as more conducive to my lifestyle. No commute, no extraneous small talk, no friction of parking or getting gas, or even showering, no party planning -- just the pure unadulterated time-spent on task.I guess I'm just registering how I feel "virtual happy hour" was an experiment in relating to others. It was both better than what I thought it might be and held scary prospects for the future of socializing.

Terra Jane

3/19/2020 09:58:31 am

So interesting to hear how other places are dealing. We are now on Shelter in Place, a term I was unfamiliar with until this week. This whole thing feels surreal, all participants in the biggest human social experiment to ever take place. The thing I keep thinking is, it only works if we all do it - and if we all do it and nothing happens, it worked. So, cooking a lot, going for walks with Marloe and my dog, and trying not to spin out or travel down the rabbit hole of what if’s. Love you.

3/19/2020 10:09:12 am

Thanks for commenting. I just had to look up "Shelter in Place." The evolution of terms is fascinating in itself. I'm actually pretty impressed at how the choice to isolate for the greater good is so widespread. In the U.S. anyway. So far, I'm not seeing much of that here. I also wonder how long it will last if, as you note, it actually works and some of the fear factor is removed.

Also, you commenting on one of my blog posts just reminded me of the Chilean government! Man, that feels like a lifetime ago...

3/19/2020 10:10:07 am

Love you TJ!

beth

3/19/2020 10:05:51 am

last week in melaque i felt the same as you now....completely disconnected from ‘reality’ back home. now back, it got very real very fast.

3/19/2020 10:11:57 am

Yeah, I have a ticket home on April 5, but don't know if I will be able to use it. Are you glad you went home?
Also, I hear that tons of people in Jalisco are taking the time off from work and school to go to the beach! sigh....

Cedar Burnett link

3/19/2020 10:23:24 am

Thank you for keeping us posted! I find it really fascinating how different places are dealing with the virus.

Things in Seattle actually feel more like the Seattle I grew up in (come to think of it, maybe I'll write something more about that). Traffic is very light, the air smells sweeter and there's a weird, fatalistic, dark humor energy out there. People sit on their porches and have long conversations with anyone walking by. It's clear some people are taking it more seriously than others, but overall, I think Seattle is very much aware that we're the epicenter in the U.S. Our death toll is so high and everyone's worried about their parents.

Please take a video of you watching ALF dubbed into Spanish!

3/19/2020 10:27:33 am

Wow, that's interesting about people talking to strangers who walk by!

Rachel Mercer

3/19/2020 07:46:42 pm

Man, yeah, does not sound like Seattle. haha ;)

Howard Fallon link

3/19/2020 10:32:41 am

The entire Bay Area is under shelter-in-place directive so we only go our for exercise & shopping for food. Walking, jogging & bicycling is safe as you simply have to maintain a distance of five feet with anyone you encounter. Being home all day has been great because we're getting a lot of work done. And we don't feel isolated because we're maintaining many of our social gatherings via Zoom. So I meditate with my sangha as always on Tuesday evenings only now I'm sitting in front of my pc. Shane is participating in virtual dance parties via Zoom. The technology enables you to see & hear everyone else so you're not dancing alone. We're watching movies & I really recommend this one that's ten years old! It's proof that we've know a pandemic was coming for years & the tRump administration choose to ignore it. https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/contagion-most-urgent-movie-of-2020-964532/
Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 pandemic procedural has turned into the go-to movie for the coronovirus age.

3/20/2020 10:37:33 am

Howard, it's cool to hear such a positive report. I need to get on this Zoom bandwagon. Virtual hugs. Give my love to the lovely Shane.

Summerjean

3/19/2020 10:52:43 am

I missed 5 days of pandemic news & fears while on a snow machine wilderness trip in Alaska. My little family & some friends luxuriated in a remote cabin perched next to a hot springs. We had done this together before- but it felt different this time- a pause in time before we got back to the world, where we knew the news would only be worse. While the tubs & scenery were nothing short of amazing, our daily rhythms were a practice run for life back to town. Eat breakfast together, get outside & get some exercise, relax, and then cook some more. Read stories out loud, pretend it’s for the kids as all the grownups listen intently- and then check for the Aurora one more time before bed. Back at home, I’m trying to recreate this cozy scene and I realize it’s these timelines & news feeds I need to turn off in order to feel that peace- not the location- just the noise- but here I am, as curious as ever. Creativity & art is what will sustain us now. I’m making some simple syrup from last summer’s berries for snow cones today- stay healthy and make stuff everyone!

3/20/2020 11:19:46 am

Summer! So cool to hear from you. And yeah, I get that about the news feeds. The situation is scary, but it's also fascinating. I just came from the beach, where I was basically tuned out for two months and it's really strange to go from that to glued to the screen and the news...
I also agree re: creativity. I feel really encouraged that this blog got such a response and it's fun to be writing recreationally again.

Ned

3/19/2020 10:58:04 am

Life goes on as usual here on the beach at Tenacatita. Two individual fellow campers (you can guess who they were, Churpa) are so disconnected that they didn't realize any of the coronavirus chaos was occurring. Two others were obvious doubters as to the seriousness of the situation, and went so far to start into conspiracy theories. Social distancing is a natural state of daily life here, food and tp inventories remain ample in the stores, and life goes on as usual. The U.S. State Department is evidently set to advise citizens abroad to either return home right away or be prepared to shelter in place for an undefined length of time. We're opting to shelter in place, though chillax in place seems like more accurate terminology.

Steve Wippich

3/19/2020 11:00:22 am

I mostly work on my own so work hasn't changed too much. I wash my hands way more often or use hand sanitizer. Still see people on the streets walking around usually alone. Still traffic on the streets, definitely lighter, still some jams. Grocery stores are very busy, as is the hardware store. I hear some closed bars and restaurants are boarding up to prevent looting.
Was sitting at a stop light on MLK, saw a guy waiting for the light rail take his hand off the handrail he was leaning on, cough a few times into his hand and put it back on the rail.

Felisa

3/21/2020 12:14:27 pm

Steve! Hi. Miss you, buddy. That's a creepy thing about boarding up the doors and windows. Makes total sense, but still...

Jo Ann

3/19/2020 12:31:36 pm

I’m holed up in the house with my Glenn and the animals. It’s snowing here in Colorado at the moment. I have to teach my 2 sections of Moral and Social Problems online starting in a week, said the traumatized tech No Fool. I will not be sticking to the syllabus. I’m going to start with A moral response to the current situation.

Nancy Nichols

3/19/2020 01:17:46 pm

Right now I my plan is to spend most of my time in Deadwood hundreds of yards from the nearest occupied house. I will see no one but my husband. I expect to spend one day a week in Eugene to buy supplies and wash clothes. I flew back to Oregon on March 8th so am still in the window of possible exposure to the virus from 3 airports and 2 flights. We have beautiful (too dry) spring weather so I am not suffering. I suspect seeing no one but Tom will eventually get to me. Months of this might get pretty hard.

Chile

3/19/2020 02:18:34 pm

The doubters have left the beach, the conspiracy persons are holed up by themselves as normal. We are hunkered down for the time being. When it gets close to our visa expiring, we’ll then decide what we will do. Probably look to extending it.
THIS is where you should be.

Tina

3/19/2020 03:00:15 pm

Made my last run out into San Miguel from the rancho today to get cash so I can keep paying Felix, who helps me with my garden and is general Mr. Fix-It around the place. Streets fairly empty, lots of stores and the library already closed. Taxi driver said there is less work each day. Feeling sad for everyone's financial struggles and wondering how people are going to get by. My life has been pretty solitary for years, but I'm really going to miss our Spanish class. Meditation group will still meet via skype or astral connection!

Bette

3/19/2020 04:13:32 pm

We now have a Shelter in Place Order in Mendocino. Bob and I just realized that we were seniors a few days ago when the places we volunteer called to tell us that they were asking people over 65 to not come in. Life for us is okay. Since we are in the country we go out hiking or walking on the beach every day (today we ate lunch on a beach north Fort Bragg). The weather has been sunny and warm so I can work in the garden. We also go for mussels when the tides are right and will go fishing and crabing again soon.I miss doing things with my friends but we talk on the phone. Bob & I also go out shoppping for food and to do errands. All libraries,restaurants, bars,community centers and non essential businesses are closed.
It is depressing to think about people who are getting sick (only one case in Mendo so far) and the great economic hardship it is having on a huge number of people with no jobs and no money. Being an optimist I am hoping it will be over soon and we can all pick up the pieces and go on with life. People here want toi help eachother out in any way we can even if it is just by cheering eachother up.

3/21/2020 12:15:48 pm

I'm envious of all that fresh air and fresh food, but glad you guys are doing well. Hope to see you one of these days....

3/19/2020 07:55:58 pm

The ultimate irony for me is that the week we're told to stay home, is the only week, for like months, that i haven't stayed home at all.

My usual week is - reluctantly associate with the public to sell wine fri-sun, then hole up in my house for the remainder of the week. It can be a good solid month before i make a singular trip to the grocery store or feed store.

Since the order to close all bars, restaurants and similar businesses (ours included) came in, I've been running around, trying to help family members and locals find things that they need, running errands for my mom since she is having a hard time staying home, and then trying to keep our fledgling business afloat with this unexpected turn of events. I've felt bad being out so much - but, i'm trying to do my due diligence in keeping a distance, washing hands often, etc. What is SO surprising to me, is that it doesn't *feel* like anything has changed.

People are out playing basketball together, i saw a huge group of kids playing at a park on equipment today, all the stores seem as busy, if not busier than normal. Traffic is the same. I had to exchange goods with someone today and we met at a gas station. The parking lot was full and i watched entire families just traipse into the store portion together.

There are rumors there will be a Shelter-in-Place order within 24 hours for the entire state. We all know what that means over here (although our go-to for shelter in place is seal off doors and windows! It's living near hanford and the chemical depot in hermiston that does that to ya).

3/20/2020 10:35:53 am

Whoa! That is so interesting. I feel like there is a definite divide along political lines in terms of how people are reacting this, so it's interesting to get this report from an ostensibly more conservative region. It sounds like people in my own rural region, which is a mix of left wing and right wing, tend to be taking it very seriously. But I don't know if they all are, or just my lefty friend and neighbors, who are the only ones I've heard from. Would be interesting to find out.

3/20/2020 08:47:30 pm

Yes, for sure along the red/blue lines. But i'm happy to say not ALL republicans are ignoring these orders. There's quite a few conservative family and friends that started over a week a go with 'don't you think it's funny that there's a 'pandemic' during an election year' type messaging to now on full lock down and taking it seriously.

But i still hear a lot of people saying it's a hoax by the Dems. or other kind of nonsense. Today at the feed store there was a woman in full N95 mask, gloves and like dressed for winter (even though it was a beautiful day) and then everyone else who was like coming in, standing near each other, chatting, shaking hands.

I'm unsure if people are still in the 'hoax' mode, or if they believe it, but it's not real - or they feel like we're far removed from it (which is silly since we're a tourist town). Unfortunately it'll take a few locals to die/get ill for it to really sink in.

Meanwhile, i guess some of the hospitals locally are already out of proper protection gear. So that's fun.

Oh, but what is fun, is i ordered goslings (if they'll come), to add to my ducks - truly thinking how we can be as self sufficient as possible.

Stuck in an Apartment lalalala

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