Hello. This is Nan Yamada in Japan, where I’ve lived, mostly, since 1973. Joyce and I went to high school together and recently have been back in touch, even Zooming with another classmate in Massachusetts. Joyce asked about life with the virus in Japan so here goes, at least regarding my corner of Tokyo. A…
Ramadan is more than half over. This year, with confinement and a curfew from 7 p.m. until morning, it has been an unusually quiet time. Ramadan is celebrated during the month when Allah handed down the Quran to Mohammed. For devout Muslims the fasting sets aside the concerns of the body and is accompanied by…
Marilyn Campbell is a friend and writer who divides her time between Wales and Aix-en-Provence. We are both members of an on-again, off-again writers group in Aix called The Plumes. Here is her report from Wales. We live in the United Kingdom but just now, it is in some ways less United than ever. Our…
This report is by Richard Hathaway. Richard was my boyfriend during high school at Lexington High (Massachusetts). He was the sports editor and I was the editor of our high school newspaper. We’ve gone our separate ways but have maintained our friendship over the years. Richard and his wife live in a special place. Here…
When we first started spending time in Marrakech in 2005, we rented and then purchased a small apartment in Gueliz, the neighborhood planned and built by the French when they ruled this section of Morocco from 1912 to 1956. We have returned to the neighborhood now to be near to the clinic where Jean Marie…
Guest Post: by Dr. Maria Hobl in Munich Today we have a guest post by my friend and walking partner in Sidi Ifni, Dr. Maria Hobl. In the winter we enjoy long walks on our town beach, often followed by sitting at a beachfront cafe to watch the sun set over the Atlantic. Maria and…
Rebelote is a French word that means “once again.” It is used as an exclamation as in: Jean Marie is having cardiac and respiratory problems so we have returned to the Clinique Internationale in Marrakech. REBELOTE! I have always liked the sound of this word. It is totally appropriate for our situation. Jean Marie had…
Guest Post by Carol Swenson in Capitola, California Perfectly distance benches for viewing the Pacific Ocean I’m taking on Joyce’s request to describe life here in California with the coronavirus. First, it’s important to remember that there IS no unified response in the US, and that the president is ignorant, power-grabbing, and devoid of either…
The Covid 19 triage tent, so far unused in Sidi Ifni Today is a good day to congratulate Morocco on its successful effort to contain the coronavirus despite having poor health care infrastructure. As of yesterday, the Covid 19 transmission rate fell below 1 for the first time, according to analysts at the Media 24…
