Thursday 20th – Tuesday 24th May 2021

My mum’s house was the perfect place to self-isolate. All that space for us three, for only 5 days, fridge and freezer full, big garden to go to.  I admire people/families with kids, isolating for 14 days in just one or two hotel rooms. My mum went to my brother’s family for the 5 days to minimise the risk of her getting Covid-19 if we had brought it from our travels. 

I was back home-home.  Nothing seemed to have physically changed.  We are just older, hopefully wiser and kids have grown. 

The temperature is the biggest change, we being constantly cold after being  2 years in a tropical country, so the kids are wrapped in a blanket with the heating on – in May!  My friend Magda came to drop off some warm clothes (they have only have one pair of trousers and a couple of tops as we live in shorts and T-shirts normally) and brought a cappuccino from her coffee machine so she sat outside in the garden while we were inside the hall, chatting away. 

Each afternoon we walked up the 219 steps to the top of Cvilin hill – my favourite place in my home town.  I see the forest and the surroundings I grew up in differently now and appreciated it then in a different way.  All seems to be more healing, relaxing, peaceful and energizing now. Perhaps it was like that before, but as a small kid you don’t see the beauty of it. 

Our family friend Nikolka and her 2 year old son Adamek came to visit us too (she has been vaccinated and he had Covid) and Emilka instantly fell in love with him. Perhaps she will love kids the way I and my mum did, as well as ponies.

Misa has been our entertainer keeping us laughing all the time, especially when he calls me “Renco” (Rencho) sounding like a real Czech – yet saying “I am British!” wearing his shorts, being cold and never admitting it! 

Kid’s favourite rolls (rohliky) with ham have been eaten on numerous times and the fridge, freezer and the goodie jar have been slowly emptied. I have been looking after the kids and believe me, plenty of cups of coffee for me just to sit in solace of my own peace and just being.  The never-stopping ticking of the kitchen clock I have known since my youth (I used to study for exams in the kitchen at night when the house was silent) transports me to the past of my study years. 

Since Monday, the kids are doing their online schooling. Due to the 3.5 hours time difference I have arranged with the school a timetable for them to better manage. They are starting online at 7am, joining the 3rd period live with their class in Sri Lanka and then when live school finishes, they complete on their own all the requirements for the two first lessons they missed in the morning.  As it is Vesak Full Moon this week, their school is having only a 2 day week (Monday and Tuesday) so the kids will have enough time to catch up with work and prepare for their exams in the next few weeks – and of course, some online gaming. 

We are lucky to have space to stay for our isolation, it feels like a staycation. 

Rennie