Loneliness

Stand together by being apart. That is the promotional statement by which Denmark is trying to promote social distancing. But the more time passes the more skeptical I am becoming about how long can that actually be upheld. Because it is going against one fundamental human instinct and that is sociability. We are social animals and that is a fact. If you look back way into the past, way back before modern society, early civilizations, even before agriculture, humans lived in small groups with up to approximately 150 people. So, I guess it is safe to say, metaphorically, that being social is written into our DNA. And today we are being asked not to do it. Today, when we took our social instincts to unprecedented levels, where approximately 55% of human population lives in cities we are asked not to hang out with others. The reasons are completely justified, I do not doubt that for a second. I am just wondering how long we can keep it up? Asking people to do social distancing is not so far away from asking a fish not to swim.

This line of thought started yesterday when my girlfriends sister dropped by. It was the first human I have seen, other then my girlfriend in weeks, if I don't count work and public transport. And I can feel that it is getting to me and my social needs are low. I am an introvert who is perfectly happy with socializing one or two times per week, three times is pushing it and four times is too much. If I am starting to feel it, I can only imagine how difficult it must be for people with higher social needs than mine. Yesterday I talked to a friend who has higher social needs than I do. He told me that when it gets to him, he goes to company offices to have a cup of coffee, but that just gets the edge off. He is having a hard time not hanging out with people.

At least gamers have it easier. We know there are social spaces that are perfectly safe and quarantine approved, where we can be social and where we can play in big groups without breaching the quarantine. I do find it a bit ironic. Until my mid twenties, I would often hear from non gamers: how can you do it, you are just staring in that screen all day, you are wasting your life away etc, etc. Do I need to mention that most of the people at that time were watching television in the same amount I spent gaming? Well, now I am the responsible citizen. So, if you want to hang out with me and be socially responsible, you can find me on Azeroth.

I made a little digression... Let us go back to "real" socializing. How long can you ask born socialites not to socialize? I would say not much longer. And you can slowly tell. Last Friday when I went out to throw the trash, main street in Roskilde was decently full of people. There wasn't as many of them as before the quarantine times but noticeably more. Weather is beautiful, quarantine is up for some time now, of course that people started to slowly give up on it. They just can't take it any more. And people from Scandinavia are good at following rules and regulations and they trust in their governments. So when they are slowly starting to give in, you know it has been a bit too long.

But as societies slowly start to reopen, one problem will still remain, at least in Denmark. Ban on public gatherings for 10 or more people will stay at least until August. So we will be able to see our friends and family but all fun will be put on hold. So we will be able to work and be home and see people one by one but no fun? How long will that last? We are not machines that can just work, work, work. Even Danes need recreational activities from time to time. Their amazing working ethics is necessarily standing in stark contrast to hygge. They will kill themselves working but when they are of, they are off. With a ban on public gatherings way into August will severely restrict their possibilities to be off. In the old Rome it was known that if you want to win public approval you need to provide bread and circus "Panem et circenses". By the time this whole corona thing is over, a lot of people will lose their bread and circuses will remain closed until further notice. We do not have a lot to look forward to, until the end of summer. Work if you are lucky and... nothing, no fun until corona is done and dusted and that can take a while.

Use the elbow

Train rides during quarantine. At the beginning it was a bit spooky. In the course of 5 days, train that starts in Roskilde at 7:40 in the morning, went from completely packed to completely empty. So empty that one day last week there were only two of us that got of the train at Copenhagen central station. On a usual day it takes a couple of minutes for all the people to get of the train.
 

What I find interesting is that the few people who ride the train are acting differently - and I don't mean quarantine differently -  I mean, differently. On an average train ride, bike compartment is full and everybody is absorbed in their own business. Be it smartphone, book, laptop, telephone. Interaction with other people is non existent and communication is reduced to essentials only. That includes people with bikes when they need to park their bikes one on top of the other. At these moments will a person that parks her bike on top of the first one ask "Where are you getting of?" Other than that, it is non-existent. People don't even look at you. That's it! In the train, full of people, that is all the communication you will get.
 

Since the quarantine started, other passengers became much more welcoming. One day I noticed that the people who were in the wagon with me, from time to time would throw me a quick glance and gave me a warm smile. I was completely taken aback with it. I was just doing my train ride, Danish style, reading a book and I started getting glances. When I got home, I consulted with my domestic expert on Danish behavior. She said that what most likely happened is that Danes started to feel solidarity. It is quarantine times and not a lot of people is using the trains. Those few that do, started to develop the notion"we are in this together". I must say, I totally didn't see that one coming because for me it was just another train ride. Plus, it's not like I am seeing people often in the train, on most days I am the only person in the wagon.
 

But one time, when I had a fellow passenger, it was pure gold. I was going home from work. When I entered my bike section, there was an elderly lady inside with her bitchin' electric bike. She was also in great shape, you could see that she is exercising a lot. It became apparent very early into the train ride that she isn't an experienced train rider. When the lady that is checking tickets came, they got into a long discussion about the old lady's ticket. The conductor had a lot of work with explaining to her, how it is working. When that event was over, I heard her talking on the phone, reporting that she is in the train and that she will soon be in Roskilde. Plus she had that vibe around her that was screaming, "OMG I AM SOOO EXCITED WITH THIS TRAIN RIDE!!!!" I am not sure was it because she is usually inexperienced with train rides, or is this train ride extra exciting because it is a corona train ride.
 

The train went past Trekkroner, which means that we will be in Roskilde in about 5 minutes. She got up immediately as the train left the station and started to get ready for disembarking. She corrected her bike clothes and gloves, took her bike and stood in front of the doors ready to jump out. But in these corona times it is not so easy to get of the train, as she is about to find out.
 

When the train stops, if you want the doors to open, you need to press a button. That is something that people usually do with fingers but now a days there is the instruction to use the elbow. The train is passing next to the graveyard and our train ride hero is at a ready. She is at the door with her palm on the shoulder and elbow sticking out ready to lunge for the button at the split second the train stops. The train is entering the station, she is all arched towards the door so the elbow can hover just a few inches from the button. When the train stops she is in the perfect position to jump the button... or elbow it and get off the train.
 

The moment came. The train stopped. The button is ready to be pressed. She lunges for it, as the bike was in the way, her arched out body and the hovering elbow were still a bit too far so she raised herself on her toes, closed the elbow gap and smashed the button AND... nothing, the doors are still closed, but now she is standing normally. Doesn't matter, elbow at a ready, arch forward, raise on the toes and smash the button triumphantly for the second time AND nothing. Disappointment and disbelief started to creep in. The train is on the station for full ten seconds and she is still on it. No matter, this little bump will not prevent her. She notices another button on her right hand side and decides that is the one button to open the doors. She is ready again, elbow, arch, toes, smash, nothing, smash, nothing. Despair, full twenty seconds passed, she elbowed two buttons, four times and she is still in the train. Desperate times require desperate measures. She goes for it again, but this time with a clenched fist. She will smash the button with a fist, with the cykeling glove so she doesn't touch the corona train button with her unprotected finger. BUM! Nothing, the doors are still closed and by this time the whole eternity passed. She is disheartened by now. You can see she is giving up. Slowly you can see the fist relaxes, naked thump rears out its finger nail and gently goes for the button... and the button abides. Hiss of air flies through the wagon and our brave hero is finally free. The fight was long and hard and she gave her best, but failed. At least she will disembark in Roskilde and live to see another day with her coronated finger.

For our own benefit

Corona crisis shows just how fragile our modern day democracy and economy is, since it can be severely disrupted by a simple virus. Since it started countries slowly implemented limitations in many areas of our lives, for our own benefit. When corona struck Italy, within a week, most of European countries closed the borders, making traveling almost impossible, except in case of emergencies.

Freedom of movement within the countries became severely restricted as well as quarantine measures have kicked into effect. Public and state institutions closed down, most of the stores closed, people instructed to work from home if possible. Almost everything that isn't necessary for the minimal function of the society was put on hold, for our own benefit. Corona virus is here and we need to cut the lines of transmission, so we can put a stop to it.

Currently a lot of European countries declared emergency situation which means that the governments are ruling by the decree and have no real opposition because all are united in the goal of fighting the virus. That way, making decisions is a lot faster and more efficient, which is needed in these days if we want to put a end to the pandemic. Putting the democracy on pause isn't something the governments did willingly or lightly but they did it for our own benefit.

Sports events canceled, any form of public events canceled, like festivals, markets, conferences, religious ceremonies. All public protests are canceled and banned because we need to stop the virus from spreading, remember it is all for our own benefit.

The measures I have listed are pretty much standard measure implemented across Europe to fight the corona-virus from spreading. Some measures are unique for certain countries.

Serbia implemented a curfew, from 17 in the afternoon to morning and from Friday evening to Monday morning. Dog owners can go out for a walk with their dogs only between 23 o'clock in the evening and 1 o'clock in the morning.

Croatia banned commuting outside the place of residence, which is a direct breach of the Croatian constitution.

Hungary implemented a law that states that the quarantine can be lifted only with 2/3 majority vote in parliament which basically translates into, if Victor Orban doesn't wont the quarantine lifted it won't be lifted.

Denmark implemented a law by which they can take away private property from its owner if it is needed to fight of the corona crisis and they executed it. They have seized private hospitals in order to get access to their medical equipment. They also made it possible to ban gatherings of 2 or more people if needed, because Danish minister of health noticed that people have been naughty with upholding the quarantine. Danish state may be forced to put it into effect, for our own benefit.

Soon after the pandemic started WHO asked big international IT companies to help them out in a fight against misinformation about the Corona virus, so they started to filter out misinformation on the virus, for our own benefit.

I do not try to bring into question the reality or the severity of the Corona crisis, the world is fighting a pandemic and measures need to be taken. What is worrying is the ease with which human rights, modern democracy and economy are all being put on pause during the time of the pandemic. What is also worrying how everybody is calling for the restrictions to be put into place. There is one European country that is trying to fight of the virus without infringing on human rights and democracy and they are being criticized that they are not doing enough or that they are not taking the pandemic seriously enough. The country in question is Sweden.

What other measures that infringe on our rights will be implemented, for our own benefit? Will the countries also help WHO in the fight against the spread of misinformation by censoring the private media, for our own benefit?

Will we end up locked up in our apartments because we took a walk? Croatia is on a good trajectory, even now the police is chasing people back to their apartments if they see them on the streets?

Will kissing, hugging or any other form of close human contact become illegal and not just advised against?

If you think I am blowing everything out of proportions, think about what your life looked like 8 moths ago and ask yourself: did you expect it to look like this today?

If 2 years go by and you wake up one morning in April 2022 with your doors sealed shut, government officials bringing you food, after you haven't seen anyone for 6 months, just tell yourself that all the baby steps that led to this situation, that all made sense when they were brought into effect in order to fight the virus, were all implemented for our own benefit.

Closing the borders by keeping them open

Danish prime minister yesterday, 30th March, had a press-conference. She announced that businesses should start making plans for reopening. The plan, for now, is to slowly start reopening society after 13th of April. I will remain skeptical until it actually happens since I got different information from different countries. When quarantine started in Germany, their government said it will last until approximately middle of June. In Italy approximately until the end of July.

But there was one funny, real life news closely related to corona crisis. When it started, in order to prevent/reduce the spread of the virus, Denmark decided to close down its borders. When danish prime minister announced that, I understood there will be no flights in or outside Denmark, no ferry lines going in or out of Denmark and that the police will stop you and ask you to turn around if you try to drive out of Denmark because the borders are closed. Little did I know how far away from the truth I was. When Denmark closed its borders they actually kept them wide open because they are closed. And no, you didn't read this wrong, that is how it is when it comes to closing down the land border.

Three Danish citizens got stuck in Brazil when European countries started putting up quarantines. Somehow they managed to board a plane to Germany. From there they started on their way to Denmark. They wanted at least try and return home, since they knew that the borders were closed. When they reached the border between Germany and Denmark, they were in for a surprise. Nobody was there! Ramps were down but that was it. Since they had no other intentions but to go back home they were looking around and trying to find someone to check them in but, no one was there. They were also looking for any contact number so they could call the police but they couldn't find any either. After some time they gave up, made a video of their little adventure and just walked into the country without anyone noticing. This is how it looked like: https://nyheder.tv2.dk/lokalt/2020-03-27-kaldte-forgaeves-efter-graensevagter-og-endte-med-bare-at-gaa-over-graenserne?fbclid=IwAR06GgUjnJSBhBKVq3qJGGqp-gWnzjg9T2gXMmzs4L3w5adA62v_yuPFutg

After their story and video got into the news, police released the official statement. They basically said that since the lock-down began they decided to withdraw personnel from all border crossings except three, where they are still controlling heavy traffic and any other necessary traffic to and from Germany. All other border crossings are 'closed' and patrolled by one vehicle. After all, when the country closes down its borders and announces it, you would expect that people wouldn't even try to enter since the borders are closed. I must say that I naively thought that closing down the borders always meant that people who try to enter the country are turned away by the police, but little did I know.

I must say that this story came as a welcome comic relief from the whole corona crisis. Finding news that are not related to the corona crisis is next to impossible. It seems that the number of newly infected people started to drop slowly, at least in the last two days. Let us hope it continues that way. Three weeks down, who knows how many more to go - introvert heaven at its finest.