Journal

Phase 3 to la Nueva Normalidad in Galicia

Posted on by Jimmy

The Xunta of Galicia, the autonomous community government, will allow inter-provincial travel as the region enters phrase 3 of the deescalation/transition starting Monday (along with 46% of the Spanish population in other communities). Phase 3 will be directed by the autonomous governments rather than the national government of Sanchez, and they will decide when they are ready to transition out of phase 3 to the “new normal”.

Galicia has long petitioned for inter-provincial travel during these phases. I’ve seen some interesting stories about people living next to provincial borders not being able to easily get groceries, as the market is in the other province. In fact O Bloque Nacionalista Galega, the left-wing Galician nationalist party that holds one seat in the Congress of Deputies, has abstained from Sanchez’s state of alarm renewals due to this unrequited request.

Galicia with a population of 2.7 million, currently has a total of 11,172 COVID-19 cases with 609 fatalities. The cases per million is 4,138 and the fatalities per million is 226. Of the 17 autonomous communities and the 2 autonomous Moroccan enclave cities, Galicia falls about in the middle of severity in cases and deaths.

Personally, this means we can cross the río Sil and explore Terra de Lemos, the heart of the Ribeira Sacra, in a few weeks on a first road real van trip of the year. The van life is excellent for maintaining social distance I might add. After that, we plan to head back to Rías Baixas on the coast for a few days of beach before all the madrileños are able to make their post-coronavirus summer holiday exodus from the capital.

While I still love our village and the adjacent town, I’m ready to move around responsibly, hike, take photos of something other than the monte, enjoy the spring and summer weather, and take advantage of all that Galicia has to offer.

Coffee-less for Detox Week

Posted on by Jimmy

After Ramadan, I promised my significant other I would participate in a detox with her. We eat very well, gracias a ella, and almost vegan, aside from very infrequent eggs from the neighbors (and if I break down at the market and buy semi-curado cheese). But we were both interested in cleansing.

The detox consists of a week of planned breakfast juices, a quinoa or rice salad mixed with veggies, and a soup with puréed greens. From 7 pm to 11 am the body fasts, and we drink water or a tea between meals.

But for me, the absolute hardest part has been relinquishing my beloved morning coffee. For the first few days, I had a day-long caffeine headache. And while I desperately wanted to make myself a cup, I know that the purpose of the detox for me is taking a much-needed break. I was stubborn and didn’t give up coffee like many do for Ramadan.

But yesterday, the headache was gone and even though I’m a little more lethargic, I felt good. Indeed, the meals are delicious. So even though I was less enthusiastic about detoxing than her, I’ve come to enjoy the self-discipline somewhat.

New Tightrope

Posted on by Jimmy

A silver lining of the quarantine, the intentional go-slow of the Earth’s populace, is the chance to see something new in the everyday. A quotidian walk becomes utterly fascinating if I see the neighbor’s kitten in a tree, whose hunter’s gaze is fixed on a bird out of range. Or the new colors in the horizon at sunset that I haven’t been aware of or seen yet. Moving here in mid-autumn, every week has brought changes to the monte, the agricultural activity of our neighbors, and my feelings of staying put.

I tested out my microphone yesterday, recording a little bit to experiment in Ferrite. I plugged it into my phone, used Røde’s Reporter app, and used the normal white earbuds as monitors. Strangely, I don’t mind the sound of my voice, only the occasional cadence it takes. But talking to myself down in my basement is something I’ll have to get used to. I do want to have conversations with others as well. We’ll see what comes out of it. I’ve decided on the name Left Abroad. Hopefully a short episode #0 introduction will be released in a week.

There have been rebrotes, new outbreaks here in Spain. The Alcoa plant in Lugo is shutting down, en plena pandemia, laying off over five hundred workers. There is an uprising across the United States. I have a tendency to be digitally swept up in the fervor. But I have to remind myself to stay grounded, even in uncertainty. The future will be strange. But I’ll keep enjoying the new colors of blooming flowers, the shape of the clouds, and the warm air at night, because I’ve gifted the circumstances to be near to them.

Minneapolis Rebellion

Posted on by Jimmy

Source: Josh Hild via Unsplash

“A riot is the language of the unheard. And, what is it that America has failed to hear?” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

This country cannot change.

There will be no appeals by me to stop the protests or the looting in Minnesota, as the the people react to the murder of George Floyd. Black and brown people in the United States have been murdered for centuries with impunity by the state apparatus or with its blessing, while whites look on from the sidelines, wringing our hands, squawking about civility and discourse.

America needs to atone for its sins. Maybe it needs to burn?