Tomorrow is a big day in South Africa. We go from Level 5 (complete lockdown) to Level 4 which is no better for us mere people. Except for one monumental change. We are allowed to go out to exercise between 6am and 9am. Yep, three hours of freedom - sort of. We are only allowed to go 5km from home, no visiting, no socializing. So you will see me busting out the gate at 6 tomorrow morning for a 3-hour walk!
Some of the restrictions this government has put on the populace are ridiculous IMHO! Not least of which is the ban on liquor and even though I don’t smoke, cigarettes! For really asinine reasons including that people lick the rolling papers and then share smokes. I really feel for all those going through withdrawals.
The rules come across as real power-trips for these officials. And personal beliefs. For instance, the Police minister is a teetotaler and is one apparently calling the shots on liquor - he has said he wants the whole country to be dry - permanently!
Another hugely BAD idea/rule is that anyone over 60 has to remain in place! I call total bullshit on that one. I can understand people who have underlying conditions and/or who are frail should stay put, but for goodness sake, the majority of people who have made it to my age know their limitations and understand the consequences. And it’s a documented fact that exercise is one of the most important aspects of healthy aging, not keeping people cooped up and isolated.
And…There is now a curfew in place. 8pm to 5am! Why? These arbitrary rules defy logic.
This Level 4 is supposed to allow businesses to slowly open up with more products allowed to be sold, some manufacturing to start up and more people allowed to go back to work which of course, is a good thing.
Up until 10 days (or so) ago, I was impressed with the way the government was handling things, anticipating that restriction would ease, as the social distancing and other measures have been working. But now, with these additional measures, other than the 6am - 9am freedom, the restriction are as, or even more, onerous than before. And the government is coming across as total authoritarian and militaristic. Not democratic at all.
The Democratic Alliance made good, sensible suggestions on how the country could be back to life but apparently they went unheeded.
So…
On the plus side, hhmmm….at least there will be a partial morning escape which will be a huge morale booster!
And after killing two sourdough starters and having a banana bread turn into a brick, figured that the flour I had was off - or something. So I bought another bag and, being impatient, made a quick, no-knead yeast bread that turned out really well. But there just being me to eat it, I sliced it and froze most of it! But not before a couple of warm-from-the-oven slices, slathered in butter.
Cooking has become a real chore, unless it’s something out of my ordinary repertoire. I did make the Breakfast Takealongs I haven’t made for 35 years, when I was living here with Ryan and Cody. I remembered that when I was in Washington last summer, I took a photo of the recipe written in my old hand-written recipe book! They are delicious, but again, I ended up freezing most of them and dole them out a few at a time!
But cooking does take up some of the endless hours of isolation and solitude. I may make a quiche tomorrow - if I can find my recipe!