Postcards from Home

Today’s postcard, recorded on 17 July, is from Sabine Eichbauer. The episode is longer to accommodate the fact that she lives in both Italy and Germany. Sabine handles multiple businesses including wine growing at her vineyard, Podere Salicutti in Tuscany, managing restaurant Tantris in Munich with her husband, and she continues to practise architecture. She is mother to two young girls. When we spoke, Sabine had trouble pinning down where home was. The panic of lockdown has prompted a reassessment of what home and happiness means to her. She shares some of that reflection in this postcard. Full episode notes: mscrow.com/pfh23 Podere Salicutti: salicutti.it/en/ Tantris: www.tantris.de/en/ Sabine on IG: www.instagram.com/s_eichb/

Today’s postcard, recorded on 15 July, is from Higor Boconcelo who lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Higor is a user experience designer for a large tech company. The mega city of São Paulo has been particularly hit by Coronavirus with its many football stadiums converted to emergency hospitals. Unlike daily-wage workers in Brazil, he’s been able to work from home during lockdown. In this postcard, Higor describes life in solitude during the pandemic that has also led to burst of creativity. Full episode notes: mscrow.com/pfh22 Higor’s links LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/higorboconcelo Instagram: instagram.com/boconcelo Medium: link.medium.com/gY9SIyd0b8

Today’s postcard, sent on 7 July, is from Nunu Kaller who lives in Vienna, Austria. Nunu is an author and activist who focuses on sustainable living, feminism and body positivity. In this postcard, Nunu talks about the book she’s been writing during lockdown that addresses consumerism and shopping more intelligently to achieve meaningful sustainability. Distressed by the sudden loss of income experienced by small business owning friends during lockdown, Nunu set up Austria’s ethical answer to Amazon which has now launched as www.doitfair.com. You can look up Nunu’s work at nunukaller.com. Her Instagram is instagram.com/nunu.kaller. If you enjoyed this podcast please do leave a review, it helps the podcast reach new listeners. For the full episode write up see mscrow.com/pfh21

Pankkara Larrea is a wedding and family photographer who lives with her husband and two Yorkshire terriers in Bolivia. She recorded her postcard on 2 July. Pankkara revels in the joy and love that comes with photographing big life events so the shift to lockdown, curtailing of work, and sudden sharing of her home workspace, was significant. In this postcard she talks about how her vigorous pace of creative activity hasn’t let up and why she believes there’s no going back to an old normal. Pankkara’s website: https://www.pklfotografia.com For the full story see: http://www.mscrow.com/pfh20

Shagufta is an educator and also director of an intercultural learning project called Ganga Jamini. She lives in Delhi, India, with her husband and four year old daughter. She recorded her postcard on 23 June. Shagufta set up Ganga Jamuni to connect young people with their vibrant and diverse cultural heritage; a response to the current populist political climate in India. In this postcard, Shagufta talks about shifting learning online during lockdown, a period that brought family closeness but also financial stresses and emotional hardship. Context India’s government ordered a nationwide lockdown relatively early on 24 March and for a while it looked like COVID-19 had been contained. The WHO praised the stringency of action and India’s capacity to deal with the outbreak. But this sudden decision, and the subsequent shutdown of transport networks, meant that daily-wage migrant workers suddenly found themselves with no money, place to live or source of food. Desperate, they took the dangerous decision to walk, hitch and cycle back to their home villages. Over a series of phased relaxations the country has started to open up - ostensibly to stimulate the economy - with regions experiencing high outbreaks continuing to observe stricter measures. In turn, cases of Coronavirus have increased. By 12 June, hospital morgues had run out of capacity and beds for the most serious cases were in short supply. In Delhi, cases are expected to rise to half a million by the end of July with the city’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, predicting a need for 150,000 beds. In a bid to temper the shortfall of hospital facilities, multi-specialty nursing homes, railway coaches, hotels, banquet halls, and stadiums, are being turned into COVID-19 care centres. As of 26 June there are 497,359 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and 15,401 officially attributed deaths. Reports from hospitals suggest this number to be inaccurate. India is the fourth most affected country in the world. Episode links: Ganga Jamuni on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gangajamuniheritage/ Ganga Jamuni on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gangajamuni/ WHO praises Modi: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-who-praises-indias-tough-and-timely-actions-to-stop-covid-19-spread-2211807 Migrant workers take dangerous journeys home: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-52672764 Overwhelmed hospitals results in death of a pregnant woman: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/12/india-coronavirus-agony-i-did-everything-to-save-my-wife-and-baby 150,000 cases by July: https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/3-000-new-covid-cases-in-delhi-total-at-59-746/story-JKGytNHeuLjO9Z2GBKz4eL.html Converting spaces for COVID-19 care: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/delhi-coronavirus-aap-govt-arvind-kejriwal-amit-shah-6458924/ Underreporting of COVID-19 deaths: https://www.ft.com/content/5049c66f-449d-4a13-ba1c-f95893b60597

“We’ve both been left unemployed…before, we were hanging on and now we’ve just fallen…the Coronavirus, it’s just pushed us over the edge” Lucy Graney lives with her husband Will and their two young children in Salford, U.K. Before the pandemic she was a sling librarian, consultant and a prolific content creator publishing on Facebook and Instagram. Both Lucy and Will recently made the move to self-employment which meant they weren’t eligible for any government grants to sustain their businesses through lockdown. In this postcard, sent on 11th June, she reflects on family life in isolation, being Autistic and the challenges that their current situation presents as lockdown is lifted. Context Lucy’s scenario is not unique, especially to those who are newly self-employed. In the government’s bid to avoid fraudulent claims to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), those without a tax return for 18/19 were prevented from applying. A recent Treasury Select Committee highlighted that a million people in the UK have been left without income support because they were excluded from COVID-19 salaried or self-employed schemes. Recommendations included an urgent review to help the many people like Lucy and Will. According to the Fawcett Society, by this summer 51% of parents with young children will struggle to make ends meet. In particular, women in the UK have been disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus pandemic in terms of childcare responsibilities, job losses and poor mental health. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies highlights that the widening gap between out of work benefits and the rising cost of living adds to the precarious situation that families face. Episode links: Little Lifts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleliftsblog/ Little Lifts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleliftsblog/ The Government SEISS website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme Guardian on the million who slipped through the cracks: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/15/more-than-a-million-left-out-of-coronavirus-income-support-say-mps Fawcett Society on Coronavirus' impact on women: https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/news/parents-struggling-and-women-keyworkers-are-anxious Guardian reporting of the research: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/uk-women-bear-emotional-brunt-of-covid-19-turmoil-poll IFS COVID-19 and inequality research: https://www.ifs.org.uk/inequality/covid-19-and-inequalities/

Sarah Pabst is a freelance photographer covering documentary and visual storytelling for international media outlets and news organisations. She lives in Buenos Aires in Argentina with her husband and toddler daughter. She recorded this postcard on 30th May. International photography assignments have been put on hold during the COVID-19 lockdown, but Sarah hasn’t been idle. In this postcard, Sarah talks about documenting family life, and an unexpected loss, that has unlocked a surprising period of personal creative growth. Context Coronavirus was imported into Argentina by citizens returning from holidays in Europe during March. President Alberto Fernandez was quick to lockdown the country by 20 March. This is one factor behind why, as of 5 June, the country has so far seen a relatively low 20,197 diagnosed cases and 608 deaths. In contrast, neighbouring Brazil has officially reported 615,870 cases and 34,039 deaths. Central and South America is now the focus of the Coronavirus pandemic and cases are expected to continue rising. Cases have recently spiked in Buenos Aires’ slums, home to the capital’s low income workers. In one week, confirmed cases rose by 8,000. This has meant lockdown will extend by another three weeks to 28 June for areas where COVID-19 is spreading, however there will be a slight loosening of restrictions elsewhere. Responding to this spike, Security minister Berni said, “This is like the Titanic, we’ve got an iceberg ahead and we can chose to hit it head-on or from the side – but the crash is inevitable.” Episode links: Sarah Pabst website: sarahpabst.com and Instagram: www.instagram.com/_sarahpabst_/ Women Photograph: https://www.womenphotograph.com/ Women Photograph - the Journal: https://www.instagram.com/wpthejournal/ Search for Sarah’s photographs on Bloomberg: https://mercury.bloomberg.com/search Villa Azul sealed off: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/villa-in-buenos-aires-province-isolated-due-to-covid-19.phtml Lockdown extension: https://batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/lockdown-extended-until-june-28-with-two-types-of-quarantine.phtml Security Minister Berni quote: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/27/argentina-cordons-off-coronavirus-slum-ghettoes-for-poor-people

“To be frank, I feel guilty at not being able to give the children as much time as I would have wanted alongside the pressures of the job.”  Jonathan has been an MP for ten years and he’s held shadow roles covering energy and climate change, education, the treasury and now the DWP. He’s Vice-Chair for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism. Jonathan refers to the return of parliament to London from 2 June which has drawn much criticism. It will particularly affect those with caring responsibilities (mainly women), vulnerable MPs and staff who have been shielding from Coronavirus. The new online voting and participatory systems will cease to operate. The UK government is at a crossroads; it is keen to return to a semblance of normality but it struggles to suppress the COVID-19 infection rate that hovers close to 1 - the number related to an increased spread of the virus. The government ceased testing on 12 March. At this point the virus ripped through communities and care homes leaving the UK with one of the worst death rates, per capita, in the world. As of 29 May the UK has registered 269,000 infections and nearly 38,000 deaths. COVID-19 related deaths is very likely to be greater and ONS figures reflect this with excess deaths during this period at 60,000. Some schools, nurseries and shops are due to open from 2 June. The new test, track and trace system is starting to come online though it will not be fully realised until late June. Following the controversy surrounding Dominic Cummings and the resulting perceived relaxation of social distancing, there are already concerns about future compliance with the testing system. Episode links: Jonathan Reynolds details: https://members.parliament.uk/member/4119/contact Autism APPG: https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/appga/chair-officers.aspx Criticism of return to parliament: https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/excl-jacob-reesmoggs-incomprehensible-plans-to-reopen-parliament-will-turn-ill-and-disabled-mps-into-eunuchs-tory-former-minister-warns COVID-19 and equality: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/covid-19-crisis-could-set-women-back-decades-experts-fear ONS figures reporting: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/26/uk-coronavirus-deaths-weekly-covid-19 Test, track and trace launches: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52829357 Social distancing breaches: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/25/beachgoers-cite-cummings-lockdown-breaches-reason-packed-seafront/

Te’sa is a student midwife, a mother and tends a smallholding on the edge of Trinity County in California. She sent her postcard via satellite connection on 21 May when she was home, writing up her midwifery notes in the company of her toddler daughter and husband. Te’sa talks about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected her work as a home birth and community based women’s health provider. She reveals how this new reality is forcing a reassessment of her own, impending, birthing choices. Context The state of California, particularly its cities, have been greatly impacted by COVID-19. As of 22 May there were 88,479 confirmed cases and 3,605 deaths, though numbers are likely to be much higher.   Northwest located Trinity is a wilderness area that is also the second poorest county in the state having already suffered a decade of low investment. In a population of approximately 12,500 residents, it is the least densely populated of counties in California. It’s a contributing factor for why there has been a single case of Coronavirus. That doesn’t mean that life hasn’t changed. The California ‘stay at home’ order put in place on 19 March is very gradually being lifted. However, as Te’sa describes, precautions are radically changing workplace practices and influencing the choices available to women needing maternal care. As a result, there is a resurgence of interest in home birth or birthing centre options rather than the typical hospital birth with its higher rate of interventions - and higher COVID-19 risks. There is a woeful shortage of midwives in the US which is why the profession needs more women like Te’sa. Episode links Coronavirus in California: https://www.latimes.com/projects/california-coronavirus-cases-tracking-outbreak/ Trinity County in stats: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/trinitycountycalifornia First case reported in Trinity County: https://krcrtv.com/news/coronavirus/first-case-of-covid-19-reported-in-trinity-county California stay at home order: https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/ COVID-19 exposes the need for midwives: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/05/05/midwifes-tale/

"He was just getting sicker and after a few weeks he couldn’t even go to the store because he was so out of breath. This is a kid who is just 19 and who usually parkours his way from A to B" Eliotte Duran lives in Stockholm with her husband and two younger children whilst her eldest son lives away at boarding school. She sent her postcard on 10th May.  Eliotte runs the babywearing wrap company Sjala, which, like many businesses, has experienced a tumultuous time over recent months.  Sweden has taken an unusual path of remaining mostly open during the pandemic. The government has favoured advice, over restrictions, aimed at reducing the virus’ impact on the health service and slowing the spread.  In this postcard, Eliotte reveals how Coronavirus affected her family early on meaning her approach to daily life is far more cautious.  Context Sweden’s neighbours, Norway, Finland and Denmark, have started to take tentative steps out of swiftly enacted lockdowns. As of 14 May, cases in Sweden have risen to nearly 28,582 with 3,529 recorded deaths and show no sign yet of slowing. The suburb where Eliotte lives is particularly affected and, as in other countries, the virus has ravaged care home settings.  The WHO, and leaders of countries presiding over strict lockdowns, looked at Sweden with a mixture of puzzlement and horror. Based on current statistics, deaths per million citizens in Sweden (32) is higher than the United States (24). Neighbouring Denmark, where lockdown was extensive has suffered far fewer death per million (9) and is now entering its second phase of reopening. To preserve this recovery, the iconic Øresund Bridge that links the two countries has all but closed for entry from Sweden.  Debate continues to rage about whether this more pragmatic approach is right in the long term. The government has repeated it isn’t wedded to it and will change course should infection rates significantly increase. Episode links: Sjala, Eliotte’s babywearing brand: http://sjala.nu/ Skärholmen is the new COVID-19 hotspot: https://mitti.se/nyheter/coronasmittan-okar-skarholmen/ Bloomberg compares Sweden/Denmark: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/covid-infection-rate-drops-in-denmark-after-lockdown-relaxed The Øresund Bridge entry rules: https://www.oresundsbron.com/en/info/information-vedrorende-coronavirus Washington Post on Sweden’s strategy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/05/12/swedens-coronavirus-strategy-is-not-what-it-seems/

Tom Miller is a musician and lives in Salford, Manchester, in the UK. He sent his postcard on 6 May.  Tom is used to the rhythm of playing regular gigs, spending time with friends and going to his day job at a music shop.  Tom provides bass, synths and programming for Lindsay Munroe and he also plays occasional guitar and bass for Patchwork Guilt. In January he was gifted Trikafta, an experimental drug to treat Cystic Fibrosis, and it changed his life. Finally able to think longer term means the sudden shift to shielding from the Coronavirus pandemic has been particularly challenging. Shielding is vital for the 1.3m most clinically vulnerable people in the UK. In this postcard he describes life in complete isolation and why he’s angry, but also grateful. And why repeated hospital admissions means he’s better able to cope with it all.  The UK situation The UK has been one of the worst affected countries for COVID-19 due to various factors – late Government response, a confused approach, poor testing and contact tracing, and a fairly relaxed lockdown.  As of 8 May there are 207,977 confirmed cases and at least 30,689 deaths related to the virus. In particular, COVID-19 has ravaged care settings with the Office for National Statistics now including these figures in the reporting totals. As the numbers relate only to confirmed cases, the picture in the UK is likely to be even more bleak.  The FT Visual Data and Journalism Team provide in depth visual analysis of the current situation whilst the Guardian Today in Focus podcast shares daily UK and worldwide analysis on the pandemic.  Further reading: Tom playing live with Lindsay Munroe: https://youtu.be/mb5wArWbNk8 and live with Patchwork Guilt: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07085p0 Tom, CF and Trikafta: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tom-never-thought-hed-reach-17588153 Lancet on impact of COVID-19 for people with CF: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30177-6/fulltext Successful shielding statement by CF Trust: https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/news/uk-cf-medical-associations-statement-on-coronavirus The Times - when Britain sleepwalked in disaster: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-38-days-when-britain-sleepwalked-into-disaster-hq3b9tlgh FT data journalism COVID-19 reporting: https://www.ft.com/content/a26fbf7e-48f8-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441 Guardian TiF: https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus

Nafissa is from Afghanistan and is currently living in a refugee camp in Athens, Greece. This postcard was recorded over a series of WhatsApp voice messages on 3 May. Nafissa fled Afghanistan at the age of 16 after being sold to a man linked to the Taliban. She travelled alone through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and then by perilous boat journey to Lesbos, Greece. During this time she met her boyfriend and they now live in a shared container with their three daughters. Throughout this postcard, Nafissa is unafraid to share her traumatic story. She talks about her Coronavirus worries, how refugee support services had to stop when the virus threatened Greece, and her dreams for a more stable future.  Despite years of economic instability and an ageing population, Greece has defied expectations with fewer than 3,000 confirmed cases and 146 registered deaths related to COVID-19.  The highly restrictive lockdown and mandatory quarantine for arrivals to the country were factors in tackling the virus. There are concerns that testing is low, leaving cases unaccounted for. The fallout from lockdown means that people living at the overpopulated refugee camps are even more vulnerable. Government services slowed so refugees were unable to access cashcards, health and social services. There were valid fears that the virus would rip through these populations where tightly packed living conditions are best described as squalid. Pockets of cases occurred in Ritsona and Malakasa camps which led to quarantine. The lack of testing outside of hospital means that the true picture for refugees is difficult to discern.  Organisations such as CRIBS International, are working in Athens to house pregnant woman and their newborn babies. They offer a semblance of normality, safety and calm during those crucial months after birth. As you will hear from the podcast, these are things Nafissa prizes highly.  Charities have seen a big drop in donations due to the pandemic. CRIBS have just launched a campaign, called Stay Home, Safe Family, to raise enough money to continue supporting families like Nafissa’s.   CRIBS International Stay Home, Safe Families campaign: https://chuffed.org/project/safe-home-safe-family Greece and the pandemic: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/world/europe/coronavirus-greece-europe.html The situation for refugees: https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/4/8/catastrophe-is-coming-disaster-looms-for-greek-refugee-camps Ritsona and Malakasa outbreaks: https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/04/05/refugee-camp-of-malakasa-quarantined-after-afghan-migrant-tests-positive-to-covonavirus/

Rachel Velebny is a freelance writer who lives in Amsterdam with her husband and cat in an apartment that doubles as her office.  She sent her postcard on 28 April.  She is currently contributing the text for Startup Guide but her internship at a fashion media company had to be put on hold when COVID-19 containment began.  Rachel moved to Amsterdam from the UK after a period of poor mental health and, in this postcard, she recounts how learning to deal with anxiety means she’s better prepared than most for life in isolation. But that, as she’ll describe, doesn’t mean that The Netherlands “intelligent lockdown” strategy has been without its challenges.  As the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe, The Netherlands, like the UK and Sweden, were viewed as strange outliers by pursuing herd immunity. The UK hardened its lockdown – though still nothing as stringent as other European countries – whilst The Netherlands has continued its lighter touch ‘intelligent lockdown’. Lower testing and reporting is likely to be hiding the true number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths however, new cases are now slowing.  Results from an initial study of blood donor samples released in mid April showed that only 3% of the population have developed antibodies against Coronavirus. The Dutch health authority, RIVM, are conducting further antibody research that should report back in mid-May.  It will be the first indicator of how successful this more consensual lockdown has been in terms of controlling infection rates to reduce hospitalisations, shielding the most vulnerable, and developing widespread immunity.  In the meantime, the Dutch parliament is about to consult its citizens on potential strategies to lift the lockdown measures.  Links: You can access Rachel’s work at: http://www.rachelvelebny.com Current coronavirus measures: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/coronavirus-update-april-29-38802-confirmed-cases First immunity study: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-netherlands-study/dutch-study-suggests-3-of-population-may-have-coronavirus-antibodies-idUKKCN21Y10Z Second immunity study: https://nltimes.nl/2020/03/31/netherlands-launches-study-determine-covid-19-herd-immunity Consultation details: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/tpm/pve/pve-basics/case-studies/lifting-corona-measures-in-the-netherlands/

Blanca Frappier lives in Minnesota, USA, where she is an audio book artist and mother to three young children. In this postcard, recorded on 26 April, Blanca reflects on how Coronavirus has interrupted her year of saying “yes” which was about finding herself again beyond motherhood. She also recounts how the effects of living through undiagnosed COVID-19 triggered memories of her impoverished childhood, and subsequently deepened her understanding of the decisions mothers make. Minnesota, despite the rising death toll from COVID-19, is one of the first US states agitating to relax lockdown in the face of 26.5m people countrywide registering for unemployment benefits. The US is still seeing a sharp increase in cases of the virus with over 965,000 confirmed and 55,000 deaths as of 27th April. Testing in Minnesota is increasing but contact tracing, a basic requirement for dealing with COVID-19, remains patchy.  Minnesota Post: https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2020/04/deaths-from-covid-19-in-minnesota-double-in-a-week/ Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/states-set-ease-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-200426202117171.html Star Tribune: https://www.startribune.com/as-covid-19-spreads-across-minnesota-contact-tracers-are-in-demand/569954702/

Emer McKenna lives near Dublin, Ireland, and is a stay at home mother to two young boys for whom she’s worked hard alongside her husband Colin to create a nurturing home. Her eldest son, George, has autism so the transition from school to lockdown needed to be managed carefully. In this postcard, recorded on 19th April, she talks about maintaining structure for the children whilst mindfully appreciating the positives about life, despite the wider Coronavirus fears. Emer talks frankly about how parenting techniques for autism she and Colin were taught, combined with therapeutic exercises to assist her recovery from postnatal depression, have been invaluable throughout this period. Ireland brought in social distancing measures on 12 March and swiftly closed pubs as it became clear that St Patrick’s Day risked being a major catalyst for COVID-19. Cases rose, however there has been a consistent effort across the political spectrum and wider society to bring down the infection rate. As part of this, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar recently announced he would be returning to practice medicine a day a week during the pandemic. Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/coronavirus-varadkar-returns-to-practising-medicine-to-help-during-crisis-1.4221463

Caroline Lazure is from the Montreal area of Canada. Usually her role includes working with patients from both her practice and at the hospital. Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic spread across Canada, Caroline’s personal situation changed and she had to withdraw from frontline practice. In this postcard she talks about balancing the guilt of not being able to support her colleagues and patients in the way she would like with the need to look after herself. She sent this postcard on 16 April from her office, just before seeing her first patient of the day by video link. Montreal has been at the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak in Canada which, as mirrored across parts of Europe, has highlighted the risk to the elderly in care homes. This has had a big impact on Caroline’s professional outlook and she now wants to focus her future career on providing better care to older people. New York Times article on coronavirus and care for the elderly: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/world/canada/montreal-nursing-homes-coronavirus.html

Natalie Brownstein lives in Sydney, Australia – a short walk from Bondi beach. She is mother to two young boys and is currently self-isolating in their apartment along with her husband who is working from home. When Coronavirus emerged in the city, Natalie was just getting her business – Bespoke PA – back on track after the birth of her second son and subsequent postnatal depression. She sends this postcard, recorded on 11 April, to her sons so they can hear about this period of their childhood when they’re older. In it, she describes the scaling back of daily life and tries to imagine what it will be like after the virus has receded. The Australian love of travel – particularly the recent cruise ship sailing of the Ruby Princess – has been associated with the rise in COVID-19 cases. Border and quarantine controls, along with social distancing measures and testing, tentatively point to a recent decline in the virus but officials are nervous to suggest this is a persisting positive trend. Bespoke PA: http://bespokepa.com.au/ Ruby Princess: https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-ill-fated-journey-of-cruise-ship-the-ruby-princess-20200410-p54iu5.html Australia Coronavirus data: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/datablog/ng-interactive/2020/apr/13/coronavirus-cases-australia-numbers-new-stats-graph-map-by-postcode-covid-19-death-toll

Gergana is a mother of twins who lives in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. She sent her postcard on 3 April. In doing so, she imagined herself as a castaway on an abandoned island and wanted to reach people who would hear her concern.  She said of the Bulgarian government “I need to talk about the corruption, to do something, otherwise I too am complicit”. Gergana's concern has merit; Reporters without Borders lists Bulgaria at 111th for freedom of speech. Since 2009, when Boyko Borisov was elected for a third term, trust in fair elections has decreased and Transparency International rates the country's governance 43/100 due to public sector corruption. As such, she has anxieties about Bulgaria's ability to deal with Coronavirus. In this postcard, Gergana also paints a portrait of family life, organised to meet the needs of her twin daughters, that works in equal partnership with her husband.

Francesca Orlando is an Italian ex-pat, a Nutritionist, mother to two young boys and she lives in San Diego, USA. Francesca recorded a detailed and intimate portrait of the protective bubble she has created for her children in their home. She plans gentle days filled with painting stones, making focaccia and curling up on the sofa together. It's her hope that the boys remember this time positively despite the coronavirus fears that inevitably seep in. Underlying this is a thrum of anxiety. The time she's dedicating to her children is time she is not working though she maintains a positive outlook. She ends her postcard offering sanctuary to friends who may be in abusive relationships. This is a fear based on evidence; as the Guardian reported two days ago, cases of domestic abuse spike during periods of economic and social crisis. Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/03/coronavirus-quarantine-abuse-domestic-violence

Tiana Melendez is a mother, hairstylist and partner in her husband’s disaster clean up company based in New Jersey, USA. They usually deal with household floods and fires but recently, COVID-19 clean ups have become the norm. She took ten minutes between running errands for household essentials and work to send this postcard from her car. At times, the WhatsApp connection faded but the strength of her fear and anxiety came through. Since recording this postcard her father has presented with Coronavirus symptoms.

This third episode of Postcards from Home is from Cristina Constantinescu, an engineer who lives in Bucharest, Romania. Cristina is currently under lockdown with her husband and their five year old son. She discusses what life is like in the city and how the Coronavirus restrictions are having a personal impact. To any parent, personal space is a highly prized asset and it often takes the form of the commute to work. How does it feel when you lose it?

Tommy Walker is a freelance travel writer, correspondent, journalist and videographer. In this postcard he talks about life in his current home of Hong Kong, transitioning from the frantic paced frontline reporting of the 2019 protests...to a life under restriction. Tommy is currently covering more personal features related to the Coronavirus pandemic. You can see Tommy’s photojournalism and coverage at tommywalker.co. His travel writing can be found at thewanderingwalker.com

Enrico Sgaravato is father to two young boys, husband and a hospitality lecturer from Veneto. He talks about the impact that Coronavirus has had on daily life, his hopes and plans for the future.

An introduction to the Podcasts from Home podcast series documenting everyday life during the Coronavirus pandemic. Episodes are released about once a week.

“I remember going to the grocery store and seeing all the shelves were empty…my kids started getting a fever…and all the Tylenol had gone”Blanca Frappier lives in Minnesota, USA, where she is an audio book artist and mother to three young children.In this postcard, recorded on 26 April, Blanca reflects on how Coronavirus has interrupted her year of saying “yes” which was about finding herself again beyond motherhood. She also recounts how the effects of living through undiagnosed COVID-19 triggered memories of her impoverished childhood, and subsequently deepened her understanding of the decisions mothers make.

“The children will be playing happily, oblivious to everything, and I feel like there's this screaming in my head “this is not normal, what is happening now is not normal”…so I've had to work hard on my mental health.”Emer McKenna lives near Dublin, Ireland, and is a stay at home mother to two young boys for whom she's worked hard alongside her husband Colin to create a nurturing home. Her eldest son, George, has autism so the transition from school to lockdown needed to be managed carefully.In this postcard, recorded on 19th April, she talks about maintaining structure for the children whilst mindfully appreciating the positives about life, despite the wider Coronavirus fears. 

“I feel a bit like an imposter being a doctor during this time and not being on the frontline…it's a bit of a mixed feeling for me because normally I would be the first to help.”Caroline is from the Montreal area of Canada. Usually her role includes working with patients from both her practice and at the hospital. Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic spread across Canada, Caroline's personal situation changed and she had to withdraw from frontline practice. In this postcard she talks about balancing the guilt of not being able to support her colleagues and patients in the way she would like with the need to look after herself. She sent this postcard on 16 April from her office, just before seeing her first patient of the day by video link. 

“I've taken to driving past the beach, opening the window and just inhaling deeply…I never thought I'd see the day when the water and the sands of Bondi are completely empty, it's never happened before in my whole life.” Natalie Brownstein lives in Sydney, Australia – a short walk from Bondi beach. She is mother to two young boys and is currently self-isolating in their apartment along with her husband who is working from home. When Coronavirus emerged in the city, Natalie was just getting her business – Bespoke PA – back on track after the birth of her second son and subsequent postnatal depression. She sends this postcard, recorded on 11 April, to her sons so they can hear about this period of their childhood when they're older. In it, she describes the scaling back of daily life and tries to imagine what it will be like after the virus has receded.

Gergana is a mother of twins who lives in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. She sent her postcard on 3 April.In doing so, she imagined herself as a castaway on an abandoned island and wanted to reach people who would hear her concern. She said of the Bulgarian government “I need to talk about the corruption, to do something, otherwise I too am complicit”. Gergana's concern has merit; Reporters without Borders lists Bulgaria at 111th for freedom of speech.Since 2009, when Boyko Borisov was elected for a third term, trust in fair elections has decreased and Transparency International rates the country's governance 43/100 due to public sector corruption. As such, she has anxieties about Bulgaria's ability to deal with Coronavirus.In this postcard, Gergana also paints a portrait of family life, organised to meet the needs of her twin daughters, that works in equal partnership with her husband.

“I worry that maybe we shouldn't told him about the virus even though we tried to break it down to a level that a five, soon to be six, year old would understand. But he's absolutely worried, he has nightmares that we are going to die of the virus”Francesca Orlando is an Italian ex-pat, a Nutritionist, mother to two young boys and she lives in San Diego, USA.Francesca recorded a detailed and intimate portrait of the protective bubble she has created for her children in their home. She plans gentle days filled with painting stones, making focaccia and curling up on the sofa together. It's her hope that the boys remember this time positively despite the coronavirus fears that inevitably seep in.Underlying this is a thrum of anxiety. The time she's dedicating to her children is time she is not working, though she maintains a positive outlook.She ends her postcard offering sanctuary to friends who may be in abusive relationships. This is a fear based on evidence; as the Guardian reported two days ago, cases of domestic abuse spike during periods of economic and social crisis.

“I don't want to bring this home and further the spread…it's very scary for me to know that I go head first into these places not knowing what I could come out with if I'm not very careful”Tiana, 28 March 2020Tiana Melendez is a mother, hairstylist and partner in her husband's disaster clean up company based in New Jersey, USA. They usually deal with household floods and fires but recently, COVID-19 clean ups have become the norm.She took ten minutes between running errands for household essentials and work to send this postcard from her car. At times, the WhatsApp connection faded but the strength of her fear and anxiety came through.Since recording this postcard her father has presented with Coronavirus symptoms.

Cristina Constantinescu is an engineer who lives in Bucharest, Romania. Cristina is currently under lockdown with her husband and their five year old son.She discusses what life is like in the city and how the restrictions are having a personal impact. As a working parent, personal space is a highly prized asset with it often taking the form of travelling to work.How does it feel when you lose it?

The second postcard is from Tommy Walker – a freelance travel writer, correspondent, journalist and videographer.In this postcard he talks about life in his current home of Hong Kong, transitioning from the frantic paced frontline reporting of the 2019 protests…to a life under restriction. Tommy is currently covering more personal features related to the Coronavirus pandemic.You can see Tommy's photojournalism and coverage at tommywalker.co and his travel writing can be found at thewanderingwalker.com.

Meet Enrico. He lives in Veneto, Italy, with his family and juggles life working from home as a Hospitality Lecturer. As Italy found itself in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis early on, I knew he would have a story to tell. He combines his tender devotion to his family with the context we are living through.

An introduction to the Postcards from Home series that documents personal lives during the COVID-19 pandemic