Short Stories

Friday, the 24th Abril 2020 A reflection by Dina Adão For some years, I wandered around the “other Algarve”, listening to its older inhabitants. I would find them sitting in the town squares and gardens, in the shade of large trees, working the land or taking care of their animals. After explaining to them what my purpose was, and once they had overcome their initial distrust, we would look each other in the eyes, forget about time, and I would be overcome by the tenderness with which they listened to my questions, recounting their memories and engaging in conversation. This …

Thursday, the 23rd Abril 2020 by Leila Dregger At the beginning of this pandemic, the imprisoned journalist Julian Assange, foreseeing the imminent economic crisis, phoned Yanis Varoufakis, a former finance minister of Greece, to say, “From now on, everything is possible.” Varoufakis replied, “Yes, but also in a good way.” I think of this dialogue now that everyone is talking about how we can get back to normality. As I am still enjoying this new situation, I don’t want to go back to normality yet. I have a new hobby: I’m collecting positive news about confinement. For example, I have …

Wednesday, the 22nd Abril 2020 by Purna Lal Chuke The Nepalese government has announced a lockdown on three occasions since 24 March, 2020. The latest one is set to continue until at least 27 April. All government offices, non-governmental organisations, associations, industries, businesses, educational establishments, private hospitals and clinics are closed. Temples, mosques, churches and gumbas (Buddhist monasteries) are also closed. Central and local government are both doing their best to protect the nation’s citizens, broadcasting messages about the need to stay indoors and remain safe. The internet, mobile and telephone service providers have attached a message to the ringtone …

Tuesday, the 21st Abril 2020 An editorial by Uwe Heitkamp Six weeks were enough, that is to say, 42 days, for the world economy to be reduced to 25 percent of its capacity, and for this whole “house of cards” (Pope Francis: “Our House”) to collapse, affecting everything and everyone: companies operating in the building and property sectors, the automobile industry and its entire supply chain, aircraft manufacturers and aviation companies, all forms of tourism, especially catering and hospitality, and also companies like Adidas, even football clubs, TUI and TAP, and many more. All sectors, from the service sector to …

Monday, the 20th Abril 2020 by Uwe Heitkamp Back to nature? A rift is appearing in our country and our lives: not only between rich and poor, old and young, and sick and healthy, but also between people from the city and those from the hinterland, who are becoming increasingly foreign to one another. Those who live and work in towns and cities inhabit a different world from those who live in the country: they do not know what rural life is like. But people who plant their own corn and potatoes, who harvest their own fruit and vegetables, who …

Sunday, the 19th Abril 2020 by Uwe Heitkamp Dear Reader, How do you feel right now? Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? I am sure that the questions running through your head are the same questions that I put to myself today. What will my future look like, what will the future of my family and friends look like, and which course will Portugal, Europe and the rest of the world choose to take? Crises are always a challenge to the way in which we learn. Cognitive knowledge dominates the school curricula, and these curricula …

Thursday, 16th April 2020 by Leila Dregger Easter is already over and I notice it’s not just me who’s starting to become more nervous. It’s the same for my friends. Yesterday I received the news that a young man I know had attempted suicide – on Easter Sunday! Thank God, he has survived. His girlfriend said he had been overcome by negative forces. No wonder, in times like these. We’ve had enough, don’t you think? They kept saying we would have to wait until Easter. In our subconscious, we might have been expecting a kind of resurrection, an easing of …

Wednesday, 15th Abril 2020 by  Sue Hall It has been a mixed week of highs and lows. The isolation is getting to me, but there have been pockets of happiness. The lows have entailed anxiety about the numbers who are infected and exactly how long we will have to stay at home. A recent high was the delivery of 30 cauliflower burgers made by a friend at REconomia. Marcelo has a vegetarian restaurant in Tavira and is now offering delivery of certain foods from his menu. He was a founder member of Tavira’s REconomia group. I am in an online …