Social Distancing: Week 2

Nicaragua 2018

I found this diary entry written exactly two years ago.  A different sort of "Social-distancing."

“I could be on a cruise playing deck shuttles, drinking gin and tonics with the captain and finding multiple husbands.

Instead, I am 75 miles down a river in Nicaragua on my way to meet a Rama tribesman who will take me to stay in his community.

Filling in the time I go on a trip to the jungle with a Danish couple.

I’m not really expecting this to be hard so I’m a little surprised when the hotel hands me gum boots and wishes me well. 

We register at the unnerving, bizarre army station with very young boys waving guns and hardly smiling at all.  This is a protected area, and you will most certainly be shot if you don’t follow the protocol.  We follow the protocol.

We moor at some wooden steps and off we go. 

Instructions:

Don’t hold on to the trees

Don’t step on a snake

Are We Stupid or What?

There is so much virtual stuff going on that it could become a bit of a tyranny - especially if you have to learn a whole new range of technology.  The first attempt wasn't exactly plain sailing...

M: let’s try and set up zoom!

V: Go to app icon and search for zoom. It’s incredibly simple! Even I can use it!

M: OK I’ve downloaded zoom and got as far as “invite your colleagues”

V: OK invite me using my email

M: Done that, I’m on and can see myself!

V: OK I’m going to have to take a few moments to work this out. Did you send an invite on my email?

M: No, on zoom I think I pressed the invite button. Shall I end meeting and start again?  Or you invite me?

V: Yes, press the invite button then go into your contacts and invite me via email.  We are so useless at this tech stuff.  This is an opportunity for us to hone our skills

M: OK I’m going to FaceTime you on my phone

V: OK I have sent you an invite. Just look at your emails and click on the link.

M: I CAN SEE YOU!! CAN’T HEAR YOU!!

V: Oh, go to the top and press the speaker icon.  I can see your foot!

M: Yes but can you hear me?

V: No!! Go to the top of the screen and press speaker icon.  I think you have to allow audio when you start the meeting.

PIP! PIP!!

Are we allowed to complain, get stressed or have anxiety attacks if we are living in the heart of the countryside with plenty of food, family companionship, financial security and haven’t even contracted the dreaded C Virus…yet?

I had this conversation with my daughter and we decided that YES! we are allowed to get upset; this situation is, after all, unprecedented (the most over-used word in the English language at the moment.)  So, I’m allowing myself to get over-anxious and grumpy, especially when I can’t precure the Saturday Guardian.

Garden of Cosmic Speculation:  https://gardenofcosmicspeculation.com/ This is where I am!

Second Nature https://www.secondnature

If you want to lose some weight this is a good one.  No deprivation and no starvation.

No Such Thing as a Fish (Podcast) absolutely brilliant and funny!

St James Piccadilly  - https://www.sjp.org.uk/   Lucy Winkett does a stonking good sermon every week.  All filmed in the beautiful St. James Piccadilly church (where I got married!)

Joe Wicks - https://www.thebodycoach.com/  Family work out.  It lasts half an hour and has gone viral everyone loves him so much.

Royal Court - https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/cyprus-avenue-2016/ Very dark ending but great performance

Hampstead theatre https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/ is showing three plays from its archives