Good Morning world.
Today is the day I have to leave the house in this idyllic setting of mine. I need to drive to Schweinfurt, the next bigger city around here. My mom has an appointment at the hospital and I will seize this opportunity to go grocery shopping and check on the current toilet-paper misery myself.
I did indeed miss driving. Anyhow, arriving in the city, I dropped of my mom. Everywhere around the hospital, one could see signs asking people to stay away from each other at a distance of at least 1,5 m.
Since this country completely ran out of masks, everyone surrounding me was either putting a tissue or a scarf in front of their mouth and noses.
I couldn’t help but think what the ladies wearing a burka or niqab may be thinking in this extraordinary state of emergency. Probably now they will be like “well, see that’s what you get for always criticizing us.” And potentially they were not saying anything, my mind is a mess. (I know this may not be diplomatically correct, forgive me. No offense.)
I decided to leave the hospital. I felt like suffocating, partly due to my scarf and partly due to the fact that I do not like, never will, never have fancied hospitals. Scares the shit out of me. Respect to everyone working in this environment.
I parked the car and entered ALDI SÜD, one of the big players regarding supermarket chains, alongside with LIDL; REWE; EDEKA and maybe NETTO, these are the supermarkets German people trust with their groceries, depending on your budget, you’ll choose one of the markets mentioned above. I chose ALDI. Says a lot already.
Just kidding.
Anyhow, at the very entrance a screen had been placed asking people to refrain from approaching one another closer than 1,5m. Ok.
I entered and saw the horror right in front of my eyes, people. I witnessed it. The toilet paper shelves. EMPTY. “Das Land der Scheißer” as my dad would state.
Not going to translate.
I recalled this post I had seen some days ago. It’s funny listing which products are excessively bought in the course of what is being referred to here as “Hamsterkäufe”, i.e. panic buying.
USA: medication and weapons
Italy: cigarettes and grappa
France: condoms and red wine
The Netherlands: weed and cheese
Scotland: whiskey
Germany: toilet paper and flour
Had some of us indeed question if this was the right country to be living in. (It’s to be understood ironically.)
On my way back, I passed Chateaudun Park, where some idiots were still gathering in large groups picnicking. Stupidity and Ignorance will never be eradicated.
Got an email from Humboldt University regarding the Erasmus funds – additional expenses would be calculated into your scholarship, plus explicitly telling students to contact the embassy whether or whether not they would like to stay in Istanbul.
Tiny Panic: Does that mean the entire semester is blown off ?
It’s not, thanks to the Internet. We’ll be having digital classes online… Still wondering how my professors are going to manage, but we’ll find out.
On our way back to our wonderfully cut-off village, we witnessed an amazing colour play as only nature could have provided for. The sunset was breathtaking. It looked like a piece of art. I felt peace.
I entered my bunker, receiving more information from my university in Turkey stating that they would start digital courses live streams on the 6th of April using Moodle and other online systems.
Sitting on my desk in front of my laptop: my dad showed up in front of the window. We communicated through the window. He showed me a package with the imprint of a flower. He said he will plant the seeds into the soil later. He pointed to the inscription on the bottom of the package; it said Sandra. The name of the variety being “Sandra”, he smiled and said: “We’ll still continue growing, my love.”