Freelance Writer and Editor
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…
Day 4 – 30 March I call this first quiet Monday during lockdown ‘the sound of silence.’ Yes, just like in the song popularised by American rock band Disturbed. Since the beginning of the lockdown, I’ve been sharing on Facebook video songs close to my heart to add a positive note to all the tragic…
Day 3 – Sunday, 29 March I can hear the anguish and concern in my mother’s voice every time we Whatsapp call. She suggested keeping a lockdown journal during these challenging times, and I may take her up on the offer. I’m in two minds about it, though. A journal is quite an intimate endeavour….
Day 2 – Saturday, 28 March There are no luxuries or time to waste this cold autumn morning. Outside, the sky is blanketed by thick grey clouds, predicting rain showers in the late afternoon. My husband and I need to be at the hospital at 7.15 am, where I am scheduled for a quick medical…
Day 1 – Friday, 27 March I wake up with birdsong and almost no traffic sounds from the main road across the residential complex where we live. The smartphone home screen shows 7 am. By now, my husband would have already had his morning coffee and left for work. Instead, we share the coffee ritual…