Strange year

2020 has been a strange year.

We returned from Christmas in Boston and settled into our cozy studio in Collonge-Bellerive. We greeted out landlords and friends.

Rick started his three months intensive French course. That in itself was a bit different. It meant he started the day early before the sun was up.

Suddenly we had weekends again.

Then IT happened.

The internet went down.

The television went down.

Our landlady told me Swisscom said it was the entire neighborhood.

The next week, neither the TV nor the internet worked but the story changed several times. Our landlady was great in giving us the latest Swisscom excuse.

Being without the internet means Rick and I can't work. My lovely ex-roommate opened her home to us, including Sherlock, much to the disgust of her cats.

It took two weeks. The problem was a cable in our landlord's garden. Swisscom dug a huge hole only to discover the plans were wrong. The hole grew bigger.

Finally we had the internet and television.

At the end of March, we decided to go south for Easter. Several of our summer friends were planning to be there.

The day we arrived, they shut the borders. They locked down the residents.

We were allowed out for certain reasons, only after filling out a form saying why and when.  Our friends who were coming, weren't.

Only food stores and medical stuff was open. Most often there was a line and only one person was allowed in.

For Rick and I being home is not a hardship. We have everything we need.

What is strange is not deciding to go to a restaurant for lunch or just have a good café sit and people watching session.

We watch what is happening in other places, aware that we are extremely lucky.

As journalists we find ourselves researching different aspects of the virus.

Someday we will be out of lockdown, grateful it wasn't worse and wishing the best to those that are suffering.