Stories of life and people
'Lockdown is very slow,' Gemma pops up, and then ducks out of sight on the screen. 'I was furloughed for the first four weeks, and as soon as I started loving furlough life, they called me back; our systems aren't set up for working from home.' The first week was weird, she says, mainly because... Continue Reading →
Scott spent lockdown with his girlfriend, who moved in with him when the UK lockdown was announced. It went well, with Scott wishing he’d asked her to move in sooner, and they celebrated their anniversary with a BBQ and local adventures, rather than the sailing trip with friends they’d originally planned. Generally he’s felt fine,... Continue Reading →
The screen flickers and I see the beams of Ruth's kitchen ceiling, and I picture her little country cottage nestled in a picture perfect Cotswold village, surrounded by rolling hills and endless green English countryside. I see a figure in a dressing gown moving about at the bottom of the screen, and a voice shouts,... Continue Reading →
When COVID-19 hit the world, New Zealand committed to an elimination strategy, which meant that on 8th June 2020, nearly three and-a-half months after the first case was reported on February 28th, the country went into alert Level 1. In layman's terms, this means we're pretty much 'back to normal', except for strict border control.... Continue Reading →
It's been two and a half years since I last saw Charlie, when we ran across the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan together. I'd forgotten how calm and collected she is, and how soothing her voice is to listen to. "I would probably say our lockdown has been better than some other people have found... Continue Reading →
"Do you know what," Kim says, coming closer to the screen like she's telling me a secret, "lockdown hasn't really changed any element of my life whatsoever. I was already antisocial," she says with a smirk, "it's just now I'm doing it on someone else's terms, so, you know, it's just like 'yay, I don't... Continue Reading →
The face on screen is familiar, yet I've not seen or spoke to this guy in 23 years. He's not aged, I think to myself, apart from he's grown a beard. Definitely wouldn't have been able to do that at sixteen. It's not awkward though, and he starts talking. "In some ways, I think my... Continue Reading →
It's Laura's birthday the day we speak, the 7th May, and she's planning a chilled day with the family. Not that she can really do much else, she tells me, being in the middle of the UK lockdown. The way Laura pronounces the words 'music' and 'avenue' remind me of my Mum, and I have... Continue Reading →
New Zealand is currently in Level 2; this means the threat level is reduced and lockdown restrictions have been eased from what they were in Level 4 and 3. It's not quite normal; we have to keep tabs on where we've been, practice physical distancing, the number of people who can be in one place... Continue Reading →
