Richard Pretorius is another of those friends dotted around the world as the global Covid-19 crisis deepens. I have not known him as long as I have Bill Taylor, whose jottings from Toronto appeared here yesterday.We met while working at The National in Abu Dhabi and have kept contact since, enjoying lunch in London when that sort of thing was still possible and even, briefly, becoming colleagues again (Arab Weekly). He's in Madrid, from where he has been posting his observations ...
As to be expected, the Madrid lockdown has been extended another 15 days past March 25. It will likely get much worse here on the horrific death toll over the next two weeks. Silver linings, I don't drink alcohol alone at home.
So after this is done two Belgian beers will knock me out, I will have a little extra money in the bank and the nightly balcony shows will be etched in my mind as one of the great unexpected experiences. Vive Madrid! Vive La Vida Loca!
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Earlier notes from the Spanish capital
In case you are wondering at 8pm Madrid time, the cheers, the claps, the whistles began again from the balconies.
I had taken one of my daily ventures to the supermarket and long walk back to my abode for exercise. The filled bag my cover for taking the most unusual of routes of return during the lockdown. I wanted to be back in the neighborhood for the repeat performance. But greatly needed the fresh air and exercise.
Let us hope over the next few weeks that spirit proves way more contagious than the coronavirus in Spain, where it has claimed more than 500 lives and infected nearly 12,000 people.
The Spanish for we will not be defeated is no seremos derrotado.
I know I will have to be tested at some point as a few days before the Spanish government went on the offensive and started posting announcements about the coronavirus all over the place, I had been amid the thousands at a women's rights march.The night before a friend and I had been in the packed Toni2's piano bar, enjoying the music, each other's company and the sing-along spirit of the crowd.
And that brings me to the bigger point of my recent postings and those honouring my great friend Mikhail. Bad things can happen to any of us as at anytime
Be kind, have an open heart no matter your scars, live large and believe no seremos derrotado.
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More notes from Madrid
We are on semi lockdown in Madrid. If you are going to wear a mask when out, you might as well think outside the bullring. This one is for my Lebanese friends who define resilience and living in the moment.
They know to always seize the day, no matter the worries.
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