Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
- Christopher Howse: 'A Pilgrim in Spain*
The Virus- Two months ago, a Spanish doctor write that 'viral load' was critically important. So, you were much more likely to get ill if you were exposed multiple times (e. g. in a crowd) than if you were exposed just to one individual with the virus. This article - The Infection Paradox - addresses the (apparently) low 'virulence' of Covid 19 and, thus, the importance of the load you are hit with - all at once or progressively. Lesson? Stay away from large numbers of people. Possibly for a long time 'going forward'. And perhaps worry less about one-to-one contact. Especially if the latter means the eventual achievement of herd immunity.
- Here, here and here are attempts to clarify the Do's and Don'ts of our Phase 0.
- And here, from reader 'sp', is something more on the issue of entering water: It depends on the arm speed, no doubt. The 'Diario Sur' adds more confusion today with a the tale of a woman who was arrested on the beach in Torremolinos. The police felt that she could 'endanger their integrity' because she filmed them as they questioned her. She used a Samsung mobile, which was black (an incriminating detail!). It was established that wading through knee-high water DOES count as sport (because of the resistance). The unfortunate lady clarified the law for the rest of us, but ended up in the slammer.
- Talking of police responses . . . To Saturday's total of 16,440 fines were added those of Sunday, giving a weekend total of more than 36,000. And the lockdown total to date of more than 800,000.
- And here's more on police activity in my elder daughter's Madrid barrio of Malasaña. Shades of the 1980 movida.
- María's Day 51.
- Some countries - e. g. Denmark and France - won't be giving relief finance to companies that have offshore accounts in tax havens. But Spain will do so. Meaning that a company which declares heavy losses from the pandemic, yet has millions offshore that they don't pay taxes on, will get funds from the Spanish taxpayers. I don't think I'd have expected anything different.
- First wild boars near the house and now bloody bears . . .
- The reminder by reader 'sp' of how easy it is to get on the wrong side of the police here reminds me of the 'gag law' and of the specific case of a citizen who was arrested for taking a foto of a police car parked on a zebra crossing. Something to do with a 'lack of respect for authority' as I recall. The Guardian had an article on it back in 2015.
- I recall reading that someone had forecast in the 1920s that the American democratic system would eventually throw up a foolish knave as president. But I suspect William Penn got there first, way back in 1775:-
o A vain man is a nauseous creature; he is so full of himself that he has no room for anything else, be it ever so good or deserving.
o It is 'I' at every turn who does this or can do that. As he abounds in his comparisons, so is he sure to give himself the better of everybody else; according to the proverb, all his geese are swans.
o They are certainly to be pitied, those who can be so much mistaken at home.
o Yet I have sometimes thought that such people are, in a sort, happy that nothing can put them out of countenance with themselves, though they neither have nor merit other people's.
o But at the same time one would wonder why they should not feel the blows they give themselves or get from others, for this intolerable and ridiculous temper; nor show any concern at that which makes others blush, for as well as at them; viz. their unreasonable assurance.
o To be a man's own fool is bad enough; but a vain man is everybody's.
o The silly disposition comes of a mixture of ignorance, confidence and pride. And as there is more or less of the last, so it is more or less offensive, or entertaining.
o And, yet, perhaps the worst part of this vanity is its unteachableness. Tell it anything and it has known it long ago; and outruns information and instruction, or else proudly puffs at it.
o Whereas the greatest understandings doubt most, are readiest to learn and are least pleased with themselves, this with nobody else.
o For though they stand on higher ground and so see farther than their neighbours, yet they are humbled by the prospect, since it shows them something so much higher and above their reach.
o And truly it is then that sense shines with the greatest beauty, when it is felt in humility.
o A humble man is a jewel with a kingdom; May we have more of them, or less need of them.
Maybe some reader can ensure these observations go viral . . .
For the avoidance of doubt, I am a jewel, of course.
Talking of me . . .
Finally . . .
- At the start of our lockdown on14 March, I wrote 3 lists; the 1st was of the 25-30 household and garden tasks I'd neglected over the years; the 2nd was of things I wanted to be doing more of, such as exercising and piano-playing; and the 3rd was of the major Projects I wanted to continue with or embark on - my autobiography - suitably expurgated - for my daughters, and a book based on my 19 years in Spain. Almost 8 weeks later, I've done most of the things on the 1st and 2nd lists but - despite having 'acres' of free time - have done nothing in respect of the 2 Projects. Plus, despite normally reading a book every week or so, I haven't read more than a few pages of one of the books in my pile or on my Kindle. I really can't account for this and wonder if others have experienced this bizarre and counter-intuitive behaviour. It must have something to do with the perception of time mentioned yesterday. Or perhaps with a perceived perception of a lack of urgency. Time has been suspended and death has been postponed.
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