THIERRY - REPORT FROM ROME

Pensioned of the European Commission and married to an Italian women, I am living in Rome for more than 10 years now. Nevertheless, I never stopped, teaching, giving conferences, writing, publishing and creating various projects of which a Center for the promotion of freedom of expression and political satire. Which means that usually I’m very busy and travelling frequently, although working the major part of my time in my office which hopefully is located in the same building than my flat. My nearest family (sons, grandsons, brothers, sisters and nephews)  is dispatched in seven countries: Italy, France, Belgium, UK, Germany, Switzerland and… Ecuador. 

Being confined, for 3 weeks now, didn’t change much my routine, except that I’m losing time reading several newspapers from various countries, information websites (specifically those tracking disinformation), and departing from my usual writings (I’m  trying to finish a new book) to respond to requests of publishing articles analyzing various economic or European effects of the crisis. I try to stick to that work load as a way not to think constantly about the fact that I’m now cut off my non Italian family, specifically from my children and grand-children, not knowing what I could do if ever they had problems. 

And this is now the case for my older son and for my sister, who both have light symptoms and have been put in quarantine. Obviously, the use of social networks – which I usually do with extreme scarcity – has become essential for exchanging information about everyone and empathy with all.

The fact not be able, to go walking on the Tuscany beaches, walk in the forest or go out to shoot photographs , as I do in normal times, is unpleasant but quite secondary as compared to the impossibility to go and see my family and not knowing when I shall be able to do it. This is for me the worst aspect of this crisis. 

But I understand that the strictest respect of confinement, social distancing and hygienic measures are probably the only way to slow down the diffusion of the virus, waiting for possible medicines, this respect is also the respect of the others and therefore  a social responsibility.  

All in all, I remain both optimist and fatalist for the issue of the crisis but much more anxious of what will happen after in social, economic, politic, geopolitical domain, but it would be too long to develop.

To conclude, as good political cartoons from my cartoonist’s network may permit to smile and reflect in the same time, I offer you some.  

(Fadi Toon Is Norwegian of Palestinian origin, Niels Bo Bojesen is Danish, Uber is Italian, Ramses is from Cuba, Michel Kichka from Israel)

All the best !

Thierry,
Rome, Italy

HEINRICH - REPORT FROM GERMANY

As all of our friends and meanwhile retired ex-collegues in the range of 65 to 80 years of age ( with whom we are in regular phone or mail contact ) we follow the permanent reporting on covit-19 by radio, internet and tv, observing and realizing with horror day by day that the corona-virus comes nearer - even in quiet aereas like ours here in the Mosel-Region, where I stay together with my wife isolated as far as possible and avoiding all unnecessary contact with the outside world ( just going once the week for fast shopping into a REWE supermarket 1 km from our home, sweet home Auf der hinteren Heide ! ).

A part from supermarkets , Apotheken, banks and Baumärkten all other shops are closed. As two of our children are living in Luxembourg, we observe and compare closely the restrictions taken on one side and the other of the border. These restrictions are stricter in Luxembourg than in Germany - exemple : Baustellen are closed in Luxembourg, but still open in Germany, where plumbers, electricians and painters are still actif and operating. As far as the border itself is concerned: border-crossing is restricted and allowed exclusivly for "Grenzgänger" ( without the 150.000 coming daily from France, Germany and Belgium into the Grand Duché, it would not just be a lock-down in the country, but life would stop totally ! ).

Our eldest daughter and her husband, both working at the University of Luxembourg, are on home-office. In a similar situation is our second daughter and her husband, working and living in Berlin, but now on home-office working from our cottage in Münsterland, close to the Dutch border. There we had planed our traditional family meeting for the Easter holidays, which can not happen under given circumstances. But a part from that, we should not complain.

We feel all together well and safe and even privileged, if we think of all those people working hard to make our country going on under this terrible virus-attack, of which we are still far to see and to realize the final outcome. Not to talk of people with small income, even without any income, of the numerous homeless in citlies like Berlin and other big cities. 

And as an old and convinced European Citizen I deeply regret the absence of Europe in the battle of these days. It is true that no artile of the the Treaties is dealing with this totally unknown and unexpected world-wide virus-attack on our societies, but solidarity with countries like Italy and Spain could and should have be shown in a different way. And the fact, that it looks as if Schengen never had taken place, is hard to accept for us, even under these special conditions. Which force, by the way even inside the Federal Republic restricting free travelling ( see the travel restrictions taken by the two nordern states "Schleswig-Holstein" and "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern", forbidding any tourist-traffic from Berlin or the rest of the country into there vacation houses  at the occasion of Easter holidays !  )

The time passes with extensiv reading of newspapers like SZ, Die ZEIT and from time to time "Luxemburger Wort",  followed by gardening and activities needed every year in the spring, long walkings in the Forest "Zum Ehranger Wald" in the afternoon and - last but not least - reading JILL LEPORE "These Truths. A History of the United States". The best book I have read the last time - and I'm reading a lot - , a book which gives an excellent inside look into the History of the US and opens the eyes to a better understanding of the institutional fonctioning of the US on the one side and of the current trends and  acting political personalities on the other side, which we consider simply mad and crazy, but which are not without precedents and forerunners in the past.   

 

Heinrich

Trier, Germany

KATERINA - REPORT FROM NICOSIA, CYPRUS

Yesterday, (30.03.20),  lock down got firmer in Cyprus. Movement is prohibited from 09.00 pm to 6.am for everybody except employees with special permits.

We are safe, albeit as a family we are taking it a bit hard, as my husband is a doctor and I have moved with the kids to my mother’s house just 20 min off Nicosia. He is staying alone at our house. This measure, we deemed necessary to protect the kids and my mother in case he gets the virus. Although not yet called in at the front line, he is still seeing patients and is on standby in case needed for the purposes of fighting the virus.

My kids are having the hardest time out of everybody, especially my son who is very attached to his father and stressed that he will not see him again. He asks to go home every night. Keeping them busy and working at the same time, proves to be an extremely challenging task although we are thankful, we are still healthy and safe, while the situation seems to be in some sort of control for the time being.  

Katerina -
Nicosia, Cyprus

LINDSAY - XAVIER GORCE CARTOON

The translation goes : « Here, I thought, I have THE pportunity to meet myself…. Well, I found out I am empty »

 

Xavier Gorce is a 58 years old cartoonist who cooperates daily with daily on line newsletter of Le Monde. His series goes Under the title of Les Indégivrables meaning « The unfrozenable ». Some of his Drawings featuring the Burka or the Gilets Jaunes have run into strong criticisms.

RENATE - BERICHT AUS HOLSTEIN BEI HAMBURG

Ein Bericht aus einem kleinen Ort bei Hamburg

Im Ort haben wir einen geheilten Kranken und im Kreis Segeberg 79

Infizierte. 

Da sieht es in Hamburg ganz anders aus, 2078 gemeldete Fälle.

Wir haben Kontaktverbot, d.h. wir dürfen uns im Freie zu zwei aufhalten. Wie auch in anderen Staaten sind nur die lebensnotwendigen  Einrichtungen geöffnet. Bei uns hält sich der Großteil der Einwohner an das Abstandhalten. Ich habe noch keine andere Erfahrung gemacht.

Mein Volkshochschulkursus wird über Internet weitergeführt, genauso die Sportkurse. 

Aber der Ort gleicht einer Geisterstadt, über sonst starkbefahrene Straßen gehe ich ohne Ampelhilfe. Es fahren nur ganz wenig Autos. Bücher habe ich heute telefonisch bestellt, sie werden morgen geliefert. So könnte ich es auch mit Speisen aus dem Restaurant machen. 

Uns geht es gut. Wir sind verrentet, haben rundum freie Natur, einen Garten und können uns auch im Haus aus dem Wege gehen. Mir tun alle die Familien leid, die auf beengtem Raum leben, Existenzängste haben und keine Hilfe bekommen. 

Bleibt gesund! 

Renate 

Holstein bei Hamburg

TORBEN IN ROMANIA - RESTRICTIONS BECOMING HARSH

Restrictions here in Romania become harsh 

People over 65 cannot go out unless it is between 11 and 13 o'clock

People cannot travel 

People cannot go out even to work without a special written explanation has to be filled in from home

At the same time we have a lot of people coming home from Italy and Spain more than 2  300.000 during the last weeks  -  all put into  quarantine for 14 days entering

The strange thing is that we have a few death and few infected 

Less  than 100 dead in all today I Think and less than 2000 infected 

But we have more than 140 000 in quarantine.

I have a suspicion that they do not test for the virus on the deceased but is only a suspicion 

They expect it to peak in 14 days and even exponential. It will not be  big time here if the figures from today are to be believed.

Personally We are very well. 

We are living a little outside Bukarest kind of in the country and do our daily walk with in the limited hours.

Groceries are delivered by courier, and I'm working as usual on line. 

Of course, no travels, no tennis and no swimming - but we can live without it

Torben 

Romania

ADRIANA - REPORT FROM ITALY

Here in Italy, the first opening date is set to April 6th but I do not believe it will be.

As the government sets the last possible date to July 31st I hope it will be as soon as possible in between.

People start getting crazy. Everybody wants to get out, everybody knows everything, everybody wants me to wear a mask even though in the pharmacy they have written it is not necessary unless you think you are sick or deal with old people.

Pets get abandoned, pet owners get a hatred, strangers do whatever they want, nobody cares.

It looks like we have no more robberies, drug addiction, domestic violence and so one. 

I do not believe it, but they do not show up, it is Corona show time now.

My husband goes to work some days in the week, he has to be alone in the office, in order to respect the rules- My brother and sister in law got smart working.

We are lucky, nobody is sick and I am the only jobless one. And the only hurt one, since I broke my shoulder abt one month ago, i.e. a lot of pain and few ways to recover (no therapy, no swimming pool, no holidays in the sun, no tan session) but it gets slowly better and this is a matter of fact, really not a complaint

I go grocery shopping once in a week, same as my Canadian friends, stay at home, clean the house, pet the cat, talk to friends, read and make some crochet work read your mail and posts, always very interesting.

That's it. Wishing you a good day with your family and hoping everybody can get out safe soon.

Adriana,

Italy - 30 03 2020

JØRGEN - ELEKTRONISK ALSANG I DANMARK

Elektronisk ALSANG

Det er FABELAGTIGT, at fagre Phillip FABER, chefdirigent og komponist, hver morgen synger med og for over 200.000 danskere, og det er skønt, at han fortæller lidt om de sange og salmer, der synges.

Som medlem af flere sangkor igennem mange år, har jeg personligt megen fornøjelse af ”SANG Håndbogen”, udgivet af højskolerne. Den fortæller grundigt om alle sangene i højskolesangbogen. Nyttig og spændende information om såvel komponister som forfattere.

Bogen er en stor hjælp for sangere og musikelskere på alle niveauer, idet den fortæller om hver eneste af de i alt 572 sange i Højskolesangbogen, om sangenes baggrund og indhold. Dermed bliver bogen en uundværlig kilde til national forståelse af den danske sangskat, der er helt enestående i verden, også i forhold til vore nabolande. Sangene fortæller kulturhistorie og sang gør os som bekendt glade og fylder os med energi.

Til efteråret kommer den 19. udgave Højskolesangbogen med mange nye sange, og forhåbentligt kan vi glæde os til at lære nye, spændende sange.

Den anden morgen sang vi eksempelvis med Faber på DR TV ”Jeg ved en lærkerede”, som de fleste kan udenad.

SANG Håndbogen fortæller, at vi først tog denne sang til os så sent som i 1963, fordi den blev skrevet af nazisten Harald Bergstedt, der åbenlyst hyldede Adolf Hitler. Sangen er for længst blevet en af de mest elskede i alle aldre, så må vi holde op med at bære nag til ophavsmanden, der i øvrigt fik to års fængsel for landsskadelig virksomhed.

Sangen er meget harmonisk og måske netop derfor, så kan den synges på mindst en halv snes melodier. Prøv selv:
”I alle de riger og lande”, ”Jens Vejmand”, ”En svensk konstabel fra Sverige”, ”Jeg elsker de grønne lunde”, ”Om Sorte Rudolf kan danse”, ”Der findes ikke magen til unge piger sind”, ”Nu lyser løv i lunde”, ”Når jeg ser et rødt flag smælde”, ”Rødes sang til Laura" i Matador-serien.

Find selv flere egnede melodier som f. eks,. ”På Sjølunds fagre sletter” 

Carl Nielsen har komponeret melodien til såvel ”Jeg ved en lærkerede” som til ”Jens Vejmand”. Ejendommeligt, at forfatteren måtte to år i fængsel for landsskadende virksomhed, når han trods alt skabte en så smuk sang, som alle har taget til sig. Og som i dag må betegnes som særdeles samfundsgavnlig virksomhed.

Elektronisk ALSANG er et hit, og snart vil ideen også blive afprøvet på hendes majestæts 80-års fødselsdag 16. april.

SANG Håndbogen kan jeg varmt anbefale til alle sangglade danskere. 

Jørgen
Odder, Danmark - 30 03 2020

JOSÉ-MANUEL - IL NEIGE À VITTORIO VIDE

Il neige sur une Vittoria vide,  ( la ville où j’habite, en Espagne ) le premier jour (30 mars 2020) du confinement total décrété par le gouvernement central. 

Je suis l'évolution de la pandémie à la télévision française et c'est précisément dans les émissions de notre pays voisin ( à une heure de route de chez moi, au Pays Basque), admiré ( mais pas sans être critique ) et Jacobin, que certains commentateurs affirment que lorsque la pandémie aura été éradiquée, les Anglo-Saxons et les Chinois devront donner de nombreuses explications. 

Souvent, quand je suis branché sur C NEWS, LCI ( Le Coeur de l'Info ) ou BFMTV, je pense que la France est encore la fille aînée de la civilisation chrétienne et la Lumière de l'Europe. Vive la France et Vive l'Europe!

José-Manuel,
Vittorio, Pays-Basque, Espagne - le 30 mars 2020

JOSÉ-MANUEL - PHOTO DE VITTORIA

À Vittoria, Espagne -  le 30 mars 2020

RICHARD - REPORT FROM THE SOUTH OF SPAIN

The police in two cars drove through the dozens of areas of our town of Finestrat late yesterday evening with their blue lights and sirens operating, which had the effect of reassuring us that they were there ... it was strangely reassuring and effective. We are also impressed with the organization and civic discipline in the supermarkets ... and this in a country where the daily news becomes ever harder to read, let alone digest. 

I am so glad that I am a good amateur electrician, plumber and “ Daddy will fix it” kind of guy especially in this extra extraordinary nightmare. 

Here is a story from my day today:

It was sent to many friends and contacts, including our Mayor in Spanish . This is the translation in case your Spanish is rusty! 

Sunday Mass:

If you are a believer or not, my sister Ann in Mallorca, 79 years old and 8 years of cancer remission, asked me to connect with the transmission of the Mass from the United Kingdom.  Ann has spent the last two weeks alone in her apartment in Illetas, near Palma, (with a beautiful sea view ...) dealing with Covid 19. Thank God, she is slowly recovering. The priest in England was a South American.  called Carlos!  The homily included prayers for our neighbors that I did for all of us in Sierra Cortina and FINESTRAT.  It was good to feel unity and camaraderie between nations.  I had sent a message to my former neighbors in France and Belgium, so it was a truly international internet moment!  Thanks to Spain for the protection.

Comment to Niels' experience with the bread knife:

We received a bread making machine from our daughters at Christmas. It makes delicious bread, but depending on quality of ingredients it varies from soft white to cake- like beige. 

We have become VERY skilled with the bread knife ( knife is from Scandinavian origin! ) 

Richard
Finestrat, Spain
29 03 2020

KOSTYA - REPORT ABOUT UKRAINE AND THE CORONA

BUT.. Kyiv, not Kiev ;-)

2 weeks of virus alert by now.. The life in Kyiv changed a lot - just
few people\cars in the city center. Many people wear masks. Borders
are closed. Metro closed since 18.03. We (as many others) work on
distance. Interesting experience - in fact, it takes more time, as
communications are not as efficient as they are face to face. The
quarantine was extended till 24.04, but everybody understand it won't
be the last extension.

as time goes it becomes more and more clear that economy is suffering
severely. From 500,000 to 700,000 new jobless just in two weeks.
People won't have money very soon.

War in the East is far from being over, and Russia always look for
advantage in any situation.

It is very clear that the Word, Europe and Ukraine will get out of the
Pandemic very different. It is very important to stay healthy,
cool-headed and keep doing good work! We have to survive and out of
this only stronger!

Kostya,

Kyev - 29 03 2020