Freelance Writer and Editor
Day 14 – Thursday, 9 April Two weeks in quarantine. Another week of lockdown, or so we thought. Unsurprisingly – given the extended lockdowns paraded overseas – the South African government has prolonged the national lockdown by two weeks, until the end of April. Forget about freedom on 27 April – Freedom Day – and…
Day 13 – Wednesday, 8 April I keep my mid-week social media updates short. My iPhone’s screen time has considerably gone up since last week, messaging on WhatsApp, browsing through news feeds, scrolling through video footage and updates on the global pandemic phenomenon in the hope that statistics would go down. Fortunately, the situation in…
Day 12 – Tuesday, 7 April I want to break free. I put a touch of foundation and mascara on my face for the first time in days and go to the nearest pharmacy after a week of confinement. Ironically, all beauty services and colour/make-up cosmetics are not available for sale during this lockdown. Looking…
Day 11 – Monday, 6 April How will the world look like decades from now, say in 2049, almost three decades after 2020 – the year an unexpected pandemic kept us locked in our homes? How much would have changed by then? My husband and I are watching Blade Runner 2049. Predictably, the sci-fi movie…
Day 10 – Sunday, 5 April It’s a beautiful day. The sun pierces through moving clouds, scattering them away, giving us a respite from the rain. The sunshine is like a breath of fresh air – we are sitting in the garden, on striped sun loungers covered by brightly-coloured beach towels. We may as well…
Day 9 – Saturday, 4 April Weekend. The rain keeps pounding the pavement, on and off, like a stubborn child. I’m still tired and moody – I’ve woken up quite early in the sound of rain after a restless night. Even a strong and bitter coffee can’t help me now – I have two cups…
Day 8 – Friday, 3 April The start of the second week of lockdown – I’m feeling under the weather just by looking out the window at the endless grey carpet of rainy clouds. Feeling drowsy and sleepy, I make strong coffees in between bouts of intermittent rain showers and decide on a half-day work,…
Day 7 – Thursday, 2 April The first week of lockdown has come to an end. Here are seven things I’ve learned in the process. Nurture your close relationships. There’s never been a better (and more) time to spend with your other half, family and children at home. Carve space for quality time together. I…
Day 6 – Wednesday, 1 April Finally, April Fools’ Day has arrived. The joke is on us, though. This so-called virus is making fools of all of us, playing hide-and-seek with our lives, taking away the sick and vulnerable, young and old, isolating the healthy ones, dividing everyone into those fighting the battle on the…
Day 5 – Tuesday, 31 March It’s hard to believe that, just two weeks ago, we were leaving the Kruger National Park and heading home after a brief three-days holiday. We couldn’t have imagined, at the time, the prospect of a national lockdown and strict travel restrictions. The coronavirus threat was in its infancy in…