Expats, how are you doing?

[Amira]

My boys are still in the US and doing okay.  We’re still in Egypt.  A few friends were able to get to the US in the last few days, although getting to their final destination has been tricky with so many domestic flights getting cancelled.  They’re also having trouble finding places to stay when they get there, and they have no idea how long they’ll be there.  

 

[JennyD]

How everyone doing?

We are fine, but DH and I are started to wonder if we might not be coming back to the US as originally planned this summer.  It depends on what happens with university classes in the US -- if they're still online, DH can teach from anywhere, and he should be able to extend his gig here in a way that would allow the rest of us to keep renewing our visas for a while. 

I just can't see us getting on long international flights while this thing is still raging.  But then again, if the virus subsides over the summer before a fall resurgence, maybe we should try to get back while we can.  But then again, do we really want to be in the US again before there is a vaccine?  At least here there is a coordinated response and a real effort -- however flawed -- to plan ahead.  My parents are going to flip out if we stay longer, though, and that's weighing on me.

 

[Amira]

Our summer plans are totally up in the air too, like many of our expat friends.  We’re supposed to go to the US at some point this summer, but I have no idea if that will be possible or practical. One of my boys was hoping to come here for part of the summer.  We’ll have to wait and see.

It’s hard to imagine international travel getting back to normal very quickly.

[JennyD]

Bumping this thread -- how's everyone doing?

Infections are coming down where we are and things are very very slowly starting to open back up, but 'normal' -- or even a vague facsimile -- is still a long ways off, and our movement is very restricted.

The kids and I have to renew our visas, which expired while all government offices were shut during the strict lockdown, and it is making me quite anxious.  DH's employer is supposed to help us with this but they have consistently dropped the ball on visa issues.  DH is a lot less worried about this than I am, though, and even if our renewals were denied it's not like there are any flights out, so I'm trying (mostly unsuccessfully) not to borrow trouble by fretting overmuch about this right now. 

 

 

 

[lulalu]

nm

Edited June 29, 2020 by lulalu

[lulalu]

nm 

Edited June 29, 2020 by lulalu

[Amira]

Liking doesn’t feel right for some of the previous posts.  Maybe a solidarity emoji?

At first I was worried about getting evacuated.  I’m less concerned about that now (although it’s always a possibility), but now we’re settling into a different reality where we might be here for a long time.  That doesn’t bother me, except I’d love to see my older boys. It will take a long time for me to feel confident traveling again because borders closed so quickly in March.  I don’t want to get caught away from home if there’s a second wave. If your home is in your passport country, you can probably get there even with closed borders, but not if you’re not a citizen of the country you live in.  All three of us are okay with staying here for the duration, at least for now.  

If we could get my older boys here for a visit this summer, I’d be very happy. I’d like to see them this year.

Coronavirus restrictions aren’t particularly onerous here. Cases continue to increase, but so far at a slower rate than WHO has predicted, in spite of the lack of social distancing here. Ramadan will not be the same during coronavirus.

Edited April 24, 2020 by Amira

[CAJinBE]

Still doing okay and adjusting to the new normal. I haven't been anywhere except for walks and bike rides since it started. Dh still has to go to work. It started as alternate weeks with teleworking but more and more he has to go in on his telework days. Belgium released a three phase plan to ease back into being open again. I think the new plan will create more questions and problems. The main thing is no restaurants, bars, or big events for a long time. Other businesses will open up after May 4 but with guidelines. Schools will start limited classes after mid-May. No specifics on how this can be implemented, but they did say they would roll back if things started to go bad again. I have tickets to fly to the States in June. I'm hoping to be allowed to do so. We did purchase at least one middle seat so I don't know how that is going to be worked out. So many questions. I definitely don't like feeling trapped here. 

[Guest]

I’m curious for the expats - are there protests going on there like in the US? I’m wondering if people in other countries rebel against lockdown or other “wartime” laws. 

[UnionJack]

Our family (of 6) has been traveling around the world this year (since mid-June), planning to be away from home for 14-15 months.  We've travelled through 30 countries and had planned to visit another 15 or so (the last few months of our plans didn't have a lot of shape even as it was before the pandemic was declared; our first 9-10 months were very planned out) but are now waiting to see how things continue to unfold.

We're due to return home in late August, but if schools continue to be remote, we figure we might as well stay put and attend from abroad.  Our day-to-day existence has changed drastically (we've had such a slower pace this past month!), but I don't think our lives have changed as much as they would've had we been at home.  If we were home, I think there would be a lot of disappointment.... Not seeing friends, cancelled sports, cancelled music recitals/festivals, no regular end of year activities, etc.  

A few friends from home have said things to us like "What a massive disappointment," or "I'm sorry your trip was ruined" -- those couldn't be further from the truth!!!  We're working through how to respond to those types of statements.   I commented to one of our children earlier that I think friends who say that are projecting -- like maybe they're feeling like their plans have been ruined or they are massively disappointed by their cancelled plans.  I can picture feeling that way if we were at home and erasing our full calendar of events.  As it is, though, we continue to get to be abroad together, have no distractions of in-person school, sports, music, or my husband's work (he quit before we left).  

Even with the change of plans (holding still vs continuing to travel) this year has been nothing but incredible..... and I don't want to go home!!!  🙂

Edited April 25, 2020 by UnionJack
typo

[Bootsie]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

I’m curious for the expats - are there protests going on there like in the US? I’m wondering if people in other countries rebel against lockdown or other “wartime” laws. 

I will report on my experiences in Innsbruck, since I know you have been here recently.  There have not been any protests, that I am aware of.  DD did get a notice from the university a couple of weeks ago about a party that was held in a student apartment building reminding them that any such parties would result in being arrested and immediate deportation for international students.  

We had several weeks of extreme lockdown.  Grocery stores, gas stations, and pharmacies were all that were open.  You were supposed to shop only in your village; that meant that there was one grocery store that we could go to.  That is a small grocery store with three aisles, but it was well stocked--in fact, cases of toilet paper are being used to divide the aisles to promote social distancing.  Fresh produce is plentiful and the butcher has a wide selection.  Cleaning products shelves are full.  The café area of the grocery where you can get an espresso and bakery items has been closed.  Pharmacies are simply pharmacies, and not drug stores.  So, people are not going there to purchase toothpaste, shampoo, etc.  There are self serve huts where you can buy raw milk, pasteurized milk, eggs, yogurt, potatoes, and various flours 24-7 by simply leaving your payment in a box.  The weather has been lovely and people have been out for walks, jogs, and cycling on the trails to get fresh air, which has been encouraged.  People were very disappointed after a fresh snow in the mountains, followed by sunny weather, made for perfect skiing conditions, but the lifts were closed.  

The thing I noticed people getting antsy about was the closure of the recycling center.  After two weeks it was reopened, with limits to the number of people who could enter at a time.  All hotels and B&Bs are closed.  All restaurants have been closed.  The airport is closed until further notice.  Public transportation is running on with a limited, holiday schedule; masks are required and the front doors of busses are closed so that you can't get near the driver.  Only this past week have some take-away and delivery been allowed. Small shops with fresh air access (not in malls) were allowed to open this week, along with garden centers and do-it-yourself centers.  More stores will be allowed to open May 2.  Schools are scheduled to reopen May 15.  

Older people, those who remember WWII, have seemed to have a more difficult time adjusting to the lock-down than the younger generation,  The grandparents have still wanted to see and hug their grandkids. I think it has helped that the rules put in place were specific, straight-forward, and easy to understand.  They were fairly restrictive, but with an end in sight.  People were not shopping at big box stores or going to numerous grocery stores and drug stores.  That makes it much easier to contact trace any outbreak.  

[Lanny]

Here in Colombia we are fine. They extended the SIP (Shelter in Place) quarantine for people who are under 70 years of age, for an additional 14 (?) days. I think that is now scheduled to end on May 11th?  For those of us who are over 70, we are under very strict SIP (DW said that I  cannot open the gate to take the trash and garbage to the street as I normally do twice a week or check for mail).   One person (my Stepson in our case) can go one day a week to the supermarket, depending on the last number of the "Cedula" (National identity card. The first time he went to the supermarket under that plan he had to wait 2 hours to enter, because they would wait for 10 customers to leave and then they would permit 10 customers to enter, but I think it is much better now).

They extended the ban on International flights to/from Colombia, until the end of May 2020.  DD will hopefully get a Refund (not a Credit) from American Airlines for her early May reservation to Colombia.

I believe they are going to open certain sectors, next week, to return to work, with certain restrictions for Covid-19. I believe that is in Manufacturing and Construction. Not sure if that will be country-wide.

We have Toilet Paper and I am not aware of anything not available, although probably some things out of stock.

We have had a Home Delivery from a supermarket recently. That was a first for us. On the other side of town, but it was the only one that said they could deliver the same day and they were here in an hour or two after phoning in the order. The other supermarkets said they would deliver in 1 or 2 days.   The Pharmacy has delivery service as do many restaurants.

I don't think the restaurants are open for customers to walk in and sit down and eat but I am confined to our lot, so I haven't been in town to check that out.  We have ordered Lunch to be delivered, several times.

We live in a large, rural subdivision and they are not permitting gardeners to come in and cut the Grass, etc.  I think yesterday something was filed by the HOA, asking them to permit gardeners to enter? DW wants him to come ASAP and he, like many other people here and in the USA and in other countries have no income, because of the Covid-19 restrictions, which is a horrible thing.

Lots of restrictions on the number of people who can be in one place. No concerts or sporting events with an audience. No gatherings of more than 10 or 50 people, I forget.   6 feet of separation, Face Masks on the street, etc.

Banks are closing earlier and DW is trying to convert the utility and other payments so she can pay Online, when possible.

Schools are closed. Non essential workers are working Online, if possible. 

ETA:  I believe Colombia will permit Domestic airline flights to resume operation soon. Possibly next week or the first of May?  

ETA #2: Colombia has a population of approximately 50 million people. At this moment the web page I am looking at shows 225 deaths because of Covid-19.

 

Edited April 25, 2020 by Lanny
Add ETA

[vmsurbat1]

2 hours ago, Quill said:

I’m curious for the expats - are there protests going on there like in the US? I’m wondering if people in other countries rebel against lockdown or other “wartime” laws. 

Speaking for ourselves in Montenegro, there have been no protests.  I think that is due to a number of reasons because no one *likes* being locked down and there is a real fear amongst some of government overreach.  So why no protests?  Here are a few reasons:

1.  We are a very small country (<700,000 population) so there has only been ONE official voice (unlike the States where a single briefing from the WH carries mixed messages plus the 50 States each having to institute its own measures). 

2.  We are very near Italy--right across the Adriatic--and had every reason to believe we might be hard hit and without the excellent health care system that Italy has.

3.  The government instituted lockdown measures but has always stated that they will evaluate in 2 weeks.   Violations of rules are enforced with fines and jail time. And because we did *not* get hit and overwhelmed like Italy, it gives weight to the idea that the lockdown helped.

4.  The government (along with a great deal of EU funding) also implemented various economic helps right from the beginning:  unemployment benefits for those who can't work, families with children given time off with pay, mortgage payment relief, and more which translates to less fear.

5.  Now that we've gone 6+ weeks with lock down measures, the government is gradually opening up activities:  you can now go jogging, for example.  So there is a sense that this will all end.

6.  Lastly, as a country with a (former) communist government, there is definitely not the same sense of "my rights" that exists in the States despite Montenegro currently having a democratically elected government.

Edited April 25, 2020 by vmsurbat1

[J-rap]

My (expat) dd is still abroad.  Her graduate school has mostly closed, cancelled all classes.  So her classes are cancelled, her internship is cancelled, and the PhD program she applied for there has been dropped.  Her school will graduate the class anyway -- they're just expected to write a better thesis I guess!  My dd is disappointed that it all ended this way -- she especially loved her internship and they had tentatively offered her a job after that if all went well.  But, she knows that in the whole scheme of things this is just a small blip.  She has begun quilting, and has hand-sewn an entire Catan board game.  (Not sure how she did that! Or what she uses for cards??)  She doesn't have internet at her house (which she shares with 5 others), but she walks across the street to a friend's cafe which is now closed and empty but still has internet.  In her country, the lockdown is very strict, so she has to use the wifi at friend's cafe in the dark, with no lights on, so as to not attract attention.   (She's doing fine though.)

Edited April 25, 2020 by J-rap

[Guest]

@Bootsie, thanks for all that info. I’m curious about the vending of things like potatoes, eggs, etc. you mentioned. Who supplies those? Is it local farmers who would normally fill the marketplaces? 

I also find it surprising that the WWII generation would find this more difficult. I have been thinking the opposite: that younger people are having a harder time accepting it because we have never faced “wartime” restrictions on movement, options to buy whatever we like, etc. I thought that unusualness was a big driver of rebellion but maybe not. 

[Bootsie]

54 minutes ago, Quill said:

@Bootsie, thanks for all that info. I’m curious about the vending of things like potatoes, eggs, etc. you mentioned. Who supplies those? Is it local farmers who would normally fill the marketplaces? 

I also find it surprising that the WWII generation would find this more difficult. I have been thinking the opposite: that younger people are having a harder time accepting it because we have never faced “wartime” restrictions on movement, options to buy whatever we like, etc. I thought that unusualness was a big driver of rebellion but maybe not. 

The local farmers had their own vending huts before COVID-19 where they sell directly to the customer. There has been one additional vending hut that has opened in the last few weeks, but I think it was already planned.  As spring has begun, the local flower shop has also had herbs, pots, potting soil, etc. out in front of the store that you pick up and put your money in a box.  

The older generation doesn't necessarily seem to have emotional problems with COVID-19.  They seem to take the disease itself more in stride.  Some are living in a house that has been in their family for centuries.  They hear the bells of the church daily that tolled when their grandparents died of Spanish flu.  They walk by the cemetery daily where siblings died of childhood illnesses.  They have more of the attitude of "life must go on; the cows still have to be milked today."  One local man is undergoing cancer treatment; he is out cutting firewood everyday, with the attitude that he could easily be dead from cancer before all of this is over, so why just sit around being unproductive.   They don't necessarily see the disruptions, concerns about illness, and restrictions as unusual; they see it is a normal part of life and would prefer to live today that they know that they do have than wait for an unknown future.  I know one person here whose father is a retired physician who had just travelled and was insisting on bringing mangoes from his travels to his grandkids. When he told his father that wasn't essential travel out of his village and that he could be fined 500 euros if caught (which would make for an expensive ten mangoes), his father's response was, "but I have to or they will spoil!" The grandfather's attitude was, "Hey I am an old man, anything they can do to me for taking mangoes to my grandkids is minor compared to other things I have experienced in my life."

 

[CAJinBE]

No protests here. But I suspect that people are quietly violating some rules such as seeing family. The police will stop cars, but not everywhere. The social safety net so far seems to be working. It seems the restaurants and bars are going to be hardest hit in the end. When things start easing up I don't know how they will be able to tell who is going out for a legit reason and who is just visiting friends. 

[JennyD]

On 4/24/2020 at 3:43 PM, lulalu said:

We are still on lockdown here. No children allowed outside at all now. That is the hardest part for us. We are healthy again. But our visas expire too at the end of April. No flights to the states, and we don't know when that will change. It just feels so unreal. We always thought of things happen over here (war, famine, etc.) we could always fly back to the states. We left a country that started civil war once, and that was so stressful, but this is stressful in a much different way. 

 

Lulalu, I am so relieved that your family is fully recovered!  That's great news.  But it must be incredibly difficult not to be able to take your son outside.  We were limited to staying 100 meters from the house for a number of weeks and that was hard enough.  Not going out at all would have been just brutal.  

Israel is very slowly starting to roll back some of the restrictions this week.  Most stores will be able to reopen although they have to follow health department rules and are subject to large fines for violations.  Restaurants will be allowed to do takeout.  I am hopeful that we will be able to go further and to more outdoor places but that might be another week.  Oh, and we have to wear masks, enforceable through fines.

There have not been protests against the restrictions, although, as the poster in Belgium said, I'm sure that they are not being 100% followed everywhere.  Israelis tend to take rules as recommendations anyway, which is one reason why I think the government felt that it had to act quickly and severely in the first place.  There have been large socially-distanced protests (you might have seen the pictures of demonstrators standing 2 meters apart), however, against the new 'unity' government coalition deal, and small business owners have launched quite successful demonstrations to get more financial support.  There has also been a lot of anger directed at the Health Ministry for its perceived failure to address the dire situation in nursing homes.

It's hard to imagine anyone publicly making the sorts of arguments that you see coming from a small but vocal minority in the US, though. Israel was founded on socialist principles and retains a lot of those ideals and institutions today.  Mandatory near-universal military service and a constant sense of being under siege contribute to a strong sense of social solidarity among a majority of Israeli citizens.  And there really isn't much political representation for a 'small government' ideology -- the political cleavages in Israel have to do with (1) the Palestinian territories; and (2) the role of religion in public life.  Being 'right wing' or 'left wing' here has nothing to do with what one thinks about, say, the national health insurance program.  Finally, the dominant religion here has a strong communal element (which is precisely why Jewish communities worldwide have been so devastated by the virus) and religious leaders have been emphatic that health ministry restrictions have the status of Jewish law and must be obeyed as a matter of religious, not just secular, obligations. 

(There were a few religious leaders from the ultra-Orthodox community who were slow to understand what was going on, with disastrous consequences for their followers and pretty bad consequences for everyone else, but once they were in, they were all in.  Still, there is almost certainly going to be some sort of reckoning within those communities after this is all over.)

Israelis also pride themselves on being able to cope with tough times, and while they kvetch and complain an awful lot when things are good, they really do shine in a crisis.  Whining is not OK.

I'm nervous about the rollback but I guess it has to start sometime.   

[Laura Corin]

11 hours ago, Quill said:

I’m curious for the expats - are there protests going on there like in the US? I’m wondering if people in other countries rebel against lockdown or other “wartime” laws. 

I'm not an expat, but I'm not in the US. There have been grumbles about the lockdown, and there's some evidence that people are starting to drive more.  But I haven't heard about demonstrations.

We are allowed out for nearby exercise once a day, for caring duties, grocery shopping and medical needs. People who can work from home should do so, and most shops are shut.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Laura Corin

[lulalu]

On 4/25/2020 at 1:37 PM, Quill said:

I’m curious for the expats - are there protests going on there like in the US? I’m wondering if people in other countries rebel against lockdown or other “wartime” laws. 

nm

Edited June 29, 2020 by lulalu

[JennyD]

Bumping this thread -- how's everyone doing?

We are doing all right.  Gradually getting logistics in order to extend our stay here beyond our originally planned late-July departure.  I am distraught over the events in the US, although watching foreign news coverage of the situation is certainly educational.

 

[lulalu]

nm

Edited June 29, 2020 by lulalu

[Lanny]

To update my response of April 25th (?) I am happy and thankful to report that we are OK. We are in Colombia. I am over 70 and in that group, the government has extended the preventative isolation through August 31st. International flights are prohibited through August 31st. I am not sure when Domestic flights will be permitted to operate. Possibly in July?  Here in Colombia, the first Covid-19 person arrived on a flight from Spain, so the nerves are raw and the government imposed strict controls to reduce the number of Covid-19 victims.

[Amira]

Cases are increasing sharply here with no real end in sight.  Masks are required as of Saturday, so we’ll see if that helps. 

There are so many people here in desperate circumstances.

[vmsurbat1]

Montenegro (after pretty strict lockdown) has had no new cases for more than a month (and all cases have been resolved), so it is officially declaring itself corona-free as of today.  We feel perfectly safe to engage in all our regular activities.  🙂  However, they are beginning to open up the borders for tourists---the borders aren't open to everyone, but only to visitors from (and passing through) countries that meet a certain requirement re: covid activity in those countries.....  Since the prime tourist area is along the Adriatic coastline, let me just say that I'm glad we don't live down by the sea.....  Hopefully the measures in place (eg.  social distancing still required at the beach, hotels) will mitigate against a new wave of disease.

Edited June 2, 2020 by vmsurbat1
typo

[CAJinBE]

Students are starting to go back to school in the local schools. International schools are done for the year. My dds just finished their university finals remotely and are relieved to be done with the online learning. Even though kids are back in school, we are limited to seeing only 4 people in our home and they are supposed to be the same 4 all the time. People don't seem to be following this at all. I keep hearing about people having others over for dinner. Stores are open. Restaurants are only doing take-out still. Once the kids and most workers seem to be back together, all the other rules just seem silly. Also Belgium decided to open its borders but did not consult with its neighboring countries. France did not open its border so people were turned back. I'm not sure the EU will survive this.