Day 6: A l m o s t . . .

Quarantine Diary

A l m o s t… half-way! Yeay! So far, so good… the body is starting to feel a bit “couchpotato-ish” and, oh dear, my tan is starting to fade 😉 but other than that, life in the den is pretty good. I can remember -mostly as a kid- getting completely absorbed by the thing I wasn’t allowed to do or have – thank god that’s in the past! The door is closed and I’m not sitting in front of it wishing it open (yet). This morning other doors open – the door to understanding how to free up space on my iPhone. Among other things, I discover that Facebook is taking up 1.48 GB (!!) of which only 250 MB belong to the actual App. The rest documents and data – which I can’t access and delete. Easy solution – delete the Facebook app, which will delete docs and data, and then just reinstall the app. Or don’t use the app, use a browser. A similar scenario with WhatsApp. In this case, I think, it may be mostly photos – I can deal with that. You really needed to know that, didn’t you?!

It’s that kind of clean-up day… photos, computer files, emails… my body eventual tells me that I’ve spent way too much time on the computer. I need to stretch, go for a walk – or rather pace – eight steps from door to window, adding a few more by going around beds… and so on… hmmmm, this is not as satisfying as a walk in the woods, but the legs wanna keep moving. As good as it gets.

A little side story – I volunteer in Gangaji’s prison program and my prison pen pal came down with Covid some months ago. What he described as the worst for him was not being able to leave his cell, not shower, no outdoor recreational time, no workout, no change of clothing, no contact. And he did not have a computer, phone, wifi, windows to open, choice of menu, internet to cruise… I don’t know how big his cell is, but smaller than my hotel room I bet. So, if any complaining thoughts come up, I just think of him – I really have nothing to complain about. And Gary came out of it with a heart full of gratitude ’cause the illness itself did not hit him too hard.

Today’s excitement – crash boom, two scooters collide down below; I don’t see but hear the crash and jump to the window. It’s that kind of sound… Both drivers get up after a moment, check themselves and their bikes over, don’t seem to be hurt. A police scooter is on the scene within a minute, two more follow. One officer draws a line around the scooters on the ground, another talks to the drivers, then helps them lift the scooters to the side; only a few people look on, no blood has been spilled (only white paint the evening before), they clear the road and life continues… One of them was an Ubereats driver, so someone is waiting for their lunch…

In the afternoon, Kaya views another room for me – I have a good feeling about this one – and yes, we both think this is it. Medium price, clean, bright, quiet, looking out at greenery, decent space, living room and kitchen shared with two others, cleaning service, everything I might need provided, not far from the river, not far from MRT Wanlong station on the green line, in a local, quieter neighbourhood. I’ll meet the two roommates once I’m there; I trust. They’re supposed to be quiet, busy, and not much home, it will work well. The landlord is friendly, speaks English well, we can negotiate – all plus points. It would be too expensive for me to stay in hotels or Airbnb the entire time I’m in Taiwan. And it’s not easy to find landlords who will rent short-term. Yes, this feels right. Waiting for him to send the contract as I’m writing this. 🙂

Later, I spend some time with “pigeon man” who is back up on his loft roof, waving the flag. We’re both watching his flock cruise the sky. They are fast, swerve up and down and in large circles and eights, well synchronized, not ready to land for a while. They’re getting a good workout! Eventually, he leaves the roof and takes the flag down with him, a signal to the flock to return as the sun is setting. I try to catch them with my camera, but boy, they are fast, and the light is fading. Apparently, the fastest recorded speed of a pigeon is 92.5 mph. WOW! Here are some pigeon facts that you may never wanted to know: Pigeons are incredibly complex and intelligent animals; can live up to 15 years; are renowned for their outstanding navigational abilities; are highly sociable, mate for life, and tend to raise two chicks at the same time; both female and male pigeons share responsibility of caring for and raising young. Respect!