Week 20 - Tuesday in Turkey has Gul thinking about the effects of isolation

 Edited BY

G P Kennedy

Gul - Istanbul, Turkey

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

 The corona has robbed our sense of touch by creating physical boundaries. We Turkish people are very touchy people and physical contact is part of our culture. I realised this when we moved to the UK. We shake hands when we greet new people, hug a lot, or touch shoulders to those who need it.

 

 Now, we have to change the way we connect with others and I feel we’ve already changed. How quick! Most of us feel uncomfortable when we watch programmes with crowded scenes these days. How our brains are being rewired to accept new practices, I don’t know. ‘Keep calm and carry on’ has conquered these days.  It’s hard to believe that this was a wartime slogan from 1939. Apparently George Orwell’s novel 1984 made it famous and it fits for our days now.

 

 LIFE BETWEEN TURKEY, HOLLAND, AND ENGLAND

As our daughter lives in Holland and Mike’s mum in England, we’ve been following the news in three countries. We talk with our daughter on a regular basis, sharing our daily happenings. Mike is also worried that he might not see his mum (she’s 85 years old) again. Not seeing them since last year is a big deal for us and we're not sure when we’ll see them next. Even though there is so much uncertainty we try to keep ourselves motivated.

 

 The pandemic has affected our experience of time. The lack of social activity makes me feel living the same day over and over. We go to swim, walk and watch sunsets and read books to keep our minds off the current situation. I think it came to reality that we are in it for the long term.

 

Reading is an escape from the everyday

 Another thing, big cities, like Istanbul, provide physical and social environments for human interactions. In the absence of these, I have no desire to go back to Istanbul. I’m feeling I lost my emotional attachments and sense of belonging of the city. Is this what happens when metropolis affected by the pandemic? How you can continue to relate yourselves with the city when the city is not accessible?

 

IT’S CHILDREN’S TIME

 While our home became quiet, there are more children around at the beach. Looks like families sent their kids to the grandparents as they have no childcare available and schools are not opening.

Now, the situation is getting worse in so many cities all over Turkey again and the country sees highest new cases in 45 days.

 Education Minister has announced that academic year will reopen on Aug 31 with distance learning but schools will not resume until Sept 21.

 

Schoolchildren are on vacation

 Distance teaching has been challenging for my husband who has been doing his classes online since March. He never liked it. It’s hard to motivate students especially when they’re on holiday. For now, returning to work still seems far away so he has to carry on teaching online.

 

 Second wave is supposedly coming in the Fall; I have no idea how the situation will be in a few weeks from now. As the daily cases are increasing everyday I expect we’ll have some restrictions again. A stay at home order for over 65 already announced for some cities. Nobody knows what the future brings. Stay safe!