March 27, 2020 "Life in the Time of Corona"

Have passed the 3 week mark in semi-self-isolation.  Vineetha kept coming until curfew was pronounced and still comes on the days that curfew is lifted.

We are on total lockdown for the 10th day.  The curfew in the Kandy district is being lifted on Mondays and Thursdays so far.  Other parts of the country like Colombo and Jaffna are on total lockdown, no breaks.  Of course, when curfew is lifted, everyone rushes to the grocery stores to buy provisions with queues as long as 1 kilometer.  So much for social distancing.  They are finally restricting the number of people they let into the store at a time and also restricting how much they can buy.  But what about the queue outside.  No 1 meter distance there.

I am getting this all third hand, as I haven't been out of the house or the yard to be accurate.

I am okay for food until next week.  Was running low on cat food, so I had some delivered last Monday.  Okay now for more than a month in that department.  Good thing too as I am now feeding 6 cats.  Got some dog food as well as Tula has gone to her grandchildren so there is no-one around to feed Tsweetie and Boyfriend.  Both of them are on 3 legs.  Tsweetie got hit by the neighbor as she was backing down her ridiculously steep driveway.  Boyfriend seems to have been tied up by a string attached to one of his hind legs which cut into his skin.  His paw is swollen but he lets me touch it and it seems to be on the mend.  People are such ass holes.

Am reading, watching programs, doing jigsaws and crosswords, cleaning the house (which I hate), watering the garden and generally keeping busy.  The swimming pool was closed to members almost 3 weeks ago, so it is aerobics in my dressing room for the moment.

My friends have advised me not to go out for any reason until this crisis passes.  Apparently, people are shouting at and abusing white people as there is a mistaken belief that they brought the virus to the island.  Ironically, the first case was a Chinese tour guide.  All other cases have been Sri Lankans who either came in contact with the tour guide or have returned from abroad, mostly from Italy.

Some British friends of mine are going back to the UK for the moment because of the abuse and the difficulty in getting food supplies.

My friend Jez is coming in from Gampola on Monday to do my banking and hopefully get some groceries.  Thankfully, Gampola is in Kandy district as inter-district travel is prohibited.  I have sent him a grocery list.  I am blessed with a wonderful vegetable and fruit vendor who called about 10 days ago to ask if I needed anything.  The shop is closed, but I sent him a list as well and he said he will try to get what he can and deliver it.  My electrician as well as my seamstress, who both live hereby, have also offered to get things.  I am lucky to have good people around me.

In the middle of everything, the old and crappy pipes in this house strang a leak.  Thankfully, the plumber came over the two days that curfew was lifted and fixed all the problems.

So I am all set.  A bit of cabin fever is setting in, but other than that things are fine.

If anyone is in any doubt, we are waging war against an unseen enemy.  I have lived through two armed insurgencies in my life and can say that this situation is not dissimilar except that there is no gunfire.  Certainly the curfew restrictions here are more stringent than in 1987 when both the LTTE and JVP wars were raging.

The measures that the government has taken here are quite good including making the Defense Secretary responsible for the campaign against the virus.  He is a Major General who led the final battle against the LTTE.  Of course, some mistakes have been made, but overall things are being managed.

The number of infected cases has gone down today.  The island is slowly being emptied of tourists and the airport has been closed for a week, so no new arrivals are coming in.

My real company and entertainment continues to be my animals.

5 cats having breakfast

My beautiful Buddy Boy

Putha and Aya watching something.  The window sill in my bedroom has become the perch of choice.

Nangi having a great sleep with Aya.  I am bit worried about Nangi as she is obsessively licking herself to the point of baldness.  She is covered with bald spots.  It is not mange or ringworm.  I think she is either bored or has a nervous condition.  She is certainly the most intelligent and skittish of the cats.