Life under lockdown

A general chat area, here you can post anything that doesn't belong in another forum.
shikadi
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 449
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 21:13
Location: Belgium

Life under lockdown

Post by shikadi »

I didn't see any topic about this, which surprised me.

So... How's life going?
nothing usefull here
User avatar
Commander Spleen
Lord of the Foobs
Posts: 2384
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 22:54
Location: Border Village
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Commander Spleen »

Things haven't changed a lot. I now have a convenient excuse not to go and see people and do things. Had Easter off for the first time in like 15 years due to events being cancelled. It means a bit less money but it was going to be a particularly complicated operation this year so I was actually relieved not to have to do it.

Got a lot more time to spend on art projects. I should post some of the recent stuff actually. Started chipping away at the final details for my current mod but that's still a slow process as always. The main thing that affects me is that Flashback demoparty in Sydney won't be going ahead in June.

Many businesses have already been struggling after the bushfires over summer and some won't survive this even with the economic stimulus policies being enacted. Pizza shops are still open so I'm still working, but it's a lot easier not having to move the outdoor furniture every day and there are far fewer dishes due to nobody dining in. Still plenty of deliveries.

Luckily we've only had one confirmed case in this area. City people were locked out over Easter to make sure it stays that way. Overall it's been a bit like living in the Shire while Gondor is under attack.
User avatar
nanomekia
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 559
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2016 19:11
Location: FARM COUNTRY!
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by nanomekia »

Life's alright here.

I'm not too fussed by the isolation myself - I don't care to go out often unless I've got to - and we've been staying safe so there's that (my entire family is basically high risk, bleh.) I have been terribly unproductive though, lots of sleeping and eating (and still losing weight - come on now, body) and half-assedly playing video games, but it's not really like there's too much else to be done.

Better this than the alternative though.
Writer. Translator. Player of games. Only bites when asked nicely.

"That's ten pounds of yikes in a five-pound bag."
Benvolio
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 976
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 12:43
Location: Ireland
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Benvolio »

In a way lockdown has not affected me too much either but in a different way. I currently live in London and work in a busy hospital so my work has continued - actually I've done a lot of extra shifts in the last couple of months to cover those self-isolating and to provide extra staffing levels when busy caseloads are anticipated. Public transport which I use extensively is running, not normally but at a reliable but less frequent schedule. Maybe it's a good lesson in having some patience, as one of the effects London has on its residents is that you develop a tendency to go apoplectic if you have to wait more than 2 and a half minutes for your tube. Shops of course have these queues to get in but the go fairly quickly - queuing along three sides of a reasonably large car park still only takes 25 minutes or so.

In terms of leisure activities I guess I don't do much in normal times but I am very fond of walking extensively around the city (that's one of the things that drew me to move to such a large city after fully exploring every corner of Dublin). I can still walk around my general area which thankfully is quite a varied and culturally entertaining area (North London, zone 2/3 region). The weather has basically been excellent for a month now, barely a cloud or drop of rain. But I haven't been into the centre in over a month which saddens me, nor have I sat in a pub in a long time... like everyone else I seem to be picking up more alcohol in the shops than before. And have a nice back yard in which to sit and enjoy it! And perhaps I have been clicking open mindbelt and Paint Shop Pro 7 so... well you never know what might happen if this lockdown goes on long enough!

Socially I only know a few people here outside work, but actually my work colleagues are a really nice social outlet actually so I can't complain, far better than those who really have to sit at home all day. I normally rely a lot on Ryanair flights for seeing my friends and family so that's all on hold sadly.

Hope you all are getting on okay and that your families and friends are safe... I'm definitely in on of the world's hotspots. In fact the reported COVID death toll of London alone is equal to that of the entirety of China! I've been face to face with many (maybe 20 or 30) patients who have confirmed COVID but so far I haven't succumbed. I feel for those who live in America, it sounds terrible right now. Try not to protest violently against the lockdown though... it's fairly necessary right now!
shikadi
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 449
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 21:13
Location: Belgium

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by shikadi »

Benvolio wrote: Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:55 I currently live in London and work in a busy hospital so my work has continued
That's not the most enviable job right now. :dead
nothing usefull here
User avatar
nanomekia
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 559
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2016 19:11
Location: FARM COUNTRY!
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by nanomekia »

shikadi wrote: Sat Apr 25, 2020 20:45
Benvolio wrote: Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:55 I currently live in London and work in a busy hospital so my work has continued
That's not the most enviable job right now. :dead
^ that.

Stay safe Benvolio.
Writer. Translator. Player of games. Only bites when asked nicely.

"That's ten pounds of yikes in a five-pound bag."
Benvolio
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 976
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 12:43
Location: Ireland
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Benvolio »

Thanks guys! Just hoping we can get through to the end of this soon. You can feel the fragility of the man-made material world all around - an uneasy worry about which establishments will be gone after the summer, which livelihoods will be erased, and which members of the community will struggle most for possibly years to come. London may be a highly affleunt place, but its character is very vulnerable to being bought out en-bloc by unimaginably wealthy investors, and surely struggling independent pubs and boutiques will make way for more and more Starbucks/Pret and "Whole Foods" sorts of outlets if we aren't all careful. All of this worry in parallel to the 800 or so daily deaths (slowly improving) occurring in the UK. Anyway in the meantime the immediate goal, like you say, is to stay safe.
User avatar
Soul Monster
Vortininja
Posts: 223
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:47
Location: An Arctic Hellscape

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Soul Monster »

Sorry for resurrecting this thread, but I feel that, with the resurgence of the virus, and the fact that we're 18 months into this, It'd be a good time to see how everyone's doing.

Personally, I haven't been in a good place mentally lately. I really thought that this year would be different and I had some big plans set up for this year, but unfortunately nearly all of them have fallen through, and let me tell you, that really hits hard after months of anticipation. Right now, I'm trying to muster the motivation I need to get back on my projects and use them as a vehicle to help deal with some of the stress I've been feeling.

On the plus side, since me and a friend are just stuck indoors right now, we've been calling each other up a lot for the past year and have been getting into 5-6 hour phone calls about cartoons, movies and basically doing virtual people watching online, so that we can have something to laugh at when we need it. Also, I've been using this time to catch up on some mods that I've missed out on and I gotta say, they've been a nice little diversion. I'm glad that Keen has such a dedicated fanbase that are willing to make their own original games just for the fun of it, so thanks for that guys.

Anyway, how have things been for you guys?
User avatar
Nospike
Keen Minecrafter
Posts: 1402
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 13:56
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Nospike »

Honestly I hate this situation because it feels incredibly unjust and hopeless. Without getting into politics, our government has not been doing a good job and people's safety and comfort have not at all been its primary priority. One of the most infuriating things to me has been the 9 pm curfew that was in place all winter. I used to go for walks around my neighborhood at night to clear my head, make plans, prioritize etc. when I had a lot going on (exams). Someone in an office singlehandedly decided "no that's bad" and made doing so illegal.

On the other hand, work from home and remote schooling have probably saved my studies. I was able to save hours of precious time every week by not having to commute and being able to do necessary chores etc. while listening to lectures and stuff. It really reduced the pressure and exhaustion I had to deal with on a daily basis before. I'm going to have to attend school physically again now (for how long, I wonder?) and I'm really going to miss that.
Benvolio
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 976
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 12:43
Location: Ireland
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Benvolio »

I think curfews are incredibly unhelpful and there are better ways to reduce interactiom between people without enforcing restriction of movement to that degree. This also applies to distance radii. Thankfully the UK hasn't gone in for this but back home in Ireland (as well as down in Australia where my sister is) there have been draconian restrictions. I can understand distance restrictions a little more than curfews. But in a city they make no sense as there are more than enough people in a tkm or even 2km radius to generate outbreaks, and of course there is a unique circle around every dwelling anyway so the radii blend into one another.

The release of a walk, including an evening one, is immeasurable. This is true both in summer when the evening remains inviting well past 22.00, and in the depths of winter. I recall the first evening stroll I ventured out on in early January after ten days of self isolated solitude. It struck me like some sort of opioid elixir, to simply walk around the few familiar freezing-cpld blocks of houses that had become so unfamiliar in a short space of time. An evening stroll is often a key source of that commodity some label "the third space" in a person's day to day life.

I find myself now in an oddly favourable position in London. The UK consistently posting top five covid daily case rates. And yet Boris's "Freedom Day" brought about a real sense of normality. Yes I still stifle myself behind a mask for 12 hours each day, yet I can then walk maskless into a pub, order a pint at the bar, and not necessarily even be obliged to take a seat. The UK seems to be just about getting away with it due to the impact of the current state of immunity in the population. This is of course the real test. If the waxy-winged flight of the UK's journey to "freedom" falls flat, it is most likely going to be due to deep seated problems with the longevity of the vaccines and will spell bad news for the countries looking over here enviously.

But we've had some tough times here so I'm going to bask in the status quo while I can. I have the additional sweetener of carrying an EU passport which protects me from some of the political cold shouldering that the people of Britain are receiving from their continental neighbours. It's far from perfect though and even with vaxx and EU passport, the testing rules remain unfeasible for briefly visiting places such as Belgium and the Netherlands which are only a stone's throw away.

I'm glad to see that a bright side has been recognised by the two posters in the resurrected bit of the thread so far. Soul Monster I don't have a sense of your geographical location. But the whole thing is like whack-a-mole so a resurgence is happening in many places simultaneously. I hope the Aussies (and NZ) can keep their newest issues under wraps until they get the vaxx show on the road.

And finally a word of reassurance... looking at the message below that I wrote in April 2020... most of my favourite independent businesses in London have survived the economic devastation of the last while. And similarly in Dublin and my nearby hometown (which I got to visit recently) most places have pulled through, even if the usually gratuitously raucous local student pubs are reduced to dispersed outdoor picnic benches. Dublin has gone through a bit of a struggle with street violence since the pandemic, although this is on top of a trend that has been brewing for a number of years. But I think they're getting a handle on it, and reopening of hospitality is helping.
User avatar
DoomJedi
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 888
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:22
Location: Israel

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by DoomJedi »

Had my Booster vaccine shot on Sunday.
Felt quite crappy that night and the next day, today feel much better.
Benvolio
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 976
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 12:43
Location: Ireland
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Benvolio »

Interesting. We're not yet onto booosters in UK.

Are there many liberties in Israel requiring double-jab vaxx?

And are there now going to be things you can only do with booster (but not allowed with just the two jabs)?
User avatar
DoomJedi
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 888
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:22
Location: Israel

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by DoomJedi »

Benvolio wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:41 Are there many liberties in Israel requiring double-jab vaxx?
Well, without vaxx (like my wife) - you need to do "72-hours prior top" test or in some cases a fast test (like she did before the movie in the cinema) practically everywhere (restaurants, cinema, academical institutes and such), beside supermarkets and medical stores/clinics, maybe some stores.
Bill passed recently that teachers and workers of academy and many other public services can't work "not in zoom" if not vaxxed (there were obvious legal issues with it, but it passed still). Because before it was an absurd - customers were forced to be vaxxed, workers at same place - not (because of civilian rights).
Also you need mandatory 7-day quarantine back home regardless of where you fly to.
And are there now going to be things you can only do with booster (but not allowed with just the two jabs)?
From what I've heard - vaxxed will be counted only with booster from October 1 and on.
That's why I got a booster when I've heard it, wouldn't be able to work from October otherwise.
Currently no difference.
User avatar
proYorp
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 472
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2017 1:56
Location: Orbit
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by proYorp »

I had wanted to start a discussion on this since... like 6 months ago, specifically about the mental health effects of the pandemic and lockdowns etc. It's no secret that the rates of anxiety and depression have skyrocketed over the last year and a half. So many people I know in real life just seemed a little "off", saying things about "feeling dead inside", not thinking straight, not eating... and even on here I've noticed at least a few people seemed just worried or tense. It's been pretty well near everyone. To be honest I really wasn't myself recently either.

Isolation does terrible, terrible things to people. :'( Even aside from the mental and emotional damage caused by social isolation, one of the things that I find most ironic about the lockdowns is the effect it may have on the immune system. Strangely enough, this hasn't been the first time I've been stuck at home for months at a time. During such instances before, whenever I did go out I would get sick nearly every time because my immune system just was not caught up on all the viruses that were hanging around which everyone else was already immune to (or something like that). Eventually I was able to go out more frequently, and then eventually my immune system became more resilient, but for a while I would catch a new cold practically every week. But that's just my own personal experience.

Anyway... yeah I guess I've also just been kind of concerned and wanting to check in with people here. Y'all hanging in there okay? :confused

I am so mad at myself right now because I wanted to bring this up ages ago. I tried to write something and the words just wouldn't come. Then it almost seemed like it wasn't relevant anymore, that everyone was already over it, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I should try anyway because, dammit, I care about all you guys on here. I finally decided that this would be the week when I have to finally start the topic. Then I come back after being gone for the weekend only to find that once again, I was too slow and someone else beat me to it. I have to commend you, Soul Monster, for taking the courage to address this because I wasn't able to.
"Friendly. Very friendly. Too friendly." Image
Keening_Product
Kuliwho?
Posts: 2167
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:02
Location: Tied up in the Oracle Chamber's basement
Contact:

Re: Life under lockdown

Post by Keening_Product »

DoomJedi wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:01because of civilian rights
Ah yes, that old thing. With a virus known for overrunning hospitals and morgues, it's less "it's my right to refuse it" and more "your freedoms are only your freedoms until they infringe on others just living their lives." To put it another way; you are free to punch your stuff but you can't punch other people.
Keening_Product was defeated before the game.

"Wise words. One day I may even understand what they mean." - Levellass
Post Reply