It's been a week out of isolation and I'm slowly getting back into the groove here. I was only in office for 2 days though, because of the split team arrangements. And I would have gone in on Wednesday by mistake if not for my colleague reminding me as I was leaving that we weren't supposed to come in the rest of the week:) 
The strange thing this week is an unsettling feeling - some days I feel like nothing's changed very much. But other days I am reminded that this is a very new world we are in, and this will continue for a while until we find a new equilibrium. I wonder if we are rapidly approaching some kind of tipping point. Seeing this photo again of the theatre where Hamilton is staged reminds me that the theatre scene has been badly hit. No shows are being staged, and even tentative plans to allow some patrons back weren't really going to help much. Apparently, most theatres need a more or less full house on most days to turn a profit. So there is a lot of pain - a group of classical musicians put up a performance at Parliament Square earlier this week to protest against the continued shutdown.
So seeing tourists taking pictures and queuing up at the London Eye was reassuring in some sense, even though there are obviously a lot fewer of them. But a day or so later, as I walk along Piccadilly, the streets are very quiet. A few shops have closed, though most are still around - with hardly any customers within. A friend told me that it was difficult to shop when you aren't allowed to try on anything. Come to think of it, I have not gone into a shop for so long that I don't know if that's the case back home as well. One good thing about the lack of crowds is that taking the Tube is a much nicer experience.
On Friday as I met a new friend (from CPIB) at Strutton Ground for a Chinese meal, it was good to see the lunchtime pop-up stalls along the street again, though with far fewer customers than before as many are working from home. And shops are closing earlier than normal, as I discovered when I walked past the Chinese place a few days before around 6 pm. Previously I think they would still be open for dinner.
Anyway the following weeks and months are going to be a period of adjustment and transition. If I am avoiding crowds, I think I might make more plans to head outdoors more. Certainly running and cycling, but also exploring the country a bit more. The other night, they were screening the movie Yesterday on TV and I suddenly had a brainwave - it would be nice to visit some of the film sites if they weren't too far away. The Pier Hotel where they did the rooftop concert scene is the obvious choice. It's about 3 hours away. Watch this space!
I loved this movie. Apart from the music, which is a great trip down memory lane, there was something especially poignant about the alternative universe in which Lennon is still alive. It is of course silly, fantastical and whatever else you want to call it but it offers us some sort of healing, even if imaginary. The Tarantino movie "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" employs a similar plot device, though in that case it is much more central to the story.
Some random stuff from the week. The Doubletree Westminster hotel next to the flat is being refurbished. Mummy and I stayed here for two nights while waiting to move into the flat. We had to do so because we couldn't get an extension at the service apartment we were in (We had been there for a month while searching for a flat.) We will always have good memories of the nice bellhop who pushed our luggage next door - his supervisor had said he couldn't do that. We gave the chap a nice tip for being helpful.
Glorious sunset that I saw from Chelsea Bridge while on my run on Friday. It was cold, about 11-12 degrees. (Autumn is definitely here but I don't mind missing the summer because I was at home with you guys). I was still feeling a bit bloated from what I think is probably indigestion and decided that running might help. It won't hurt - well only if I pushed really hard. I am almost back to normal and that's a relief.
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