Hard Lockdown at Christmas in Germany

The year 2020 is about to come to an end. We were all looking forward to the Christmas season but due to an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases here in Germany, the federal states have decided to go on a hard lockdown beginning December 16. For some states, it started last Monday, December 14. What does the hard lockdown mean? For our state it means closing down of schools and kindergartens, and shops and retail businesses too. Beauty salons are also closed. Bars and clubs too. Restaurants are only allowed to sell food and beverage for takeout. There is a curfew from 8 o' clock in the evening until 7 o' clock in the morning. Shopping malls, garden centers and hardware stores are closed. Supermarkets, drug stores, pharmacies, gas stations, pet stores among others remain open. One can only go out when one goes to work, or to buy basic commodities and medicines for the family, walk the dog, or go to a doctor's appointment. Only two households are allowed to meet with a maximum total of 5 adults, children below 14 years old not counted. On Christmas days, the number allowed to meet is additional four adult persons but that's it. Fireworks sale and use are also not allowed on New Year's Eve.

It is going to be a very silent Christmas night for some but I think this is an opportunity to spend more quality time with the family, to sit down together and share Christmas dinner together, to reflect on what is really important in life, to pray together for healing and world peace and to be thankful for all the blessings received this year.

I wish you all a blessed 4th Advent Sunday and a beautiful and merry Christmas.

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The First Advent

It is officially Christmas. It started yesterday, on the first Sunday of advent, where one lights the first candle of the advent wreath. 

The first candle symbolizes hope. This year, there are so many things to be hopeful for - a cure or vaccine against the COVID-19 virus among others. We are hopeful that this pandemic, like all other pandemic, will end and we can all go back to enjoying the company of our friends and relatives, meet new people, travel new places - all without the fear of being infected and getting sick, or worse, infect others.

We are also hopeful for a healthy 2021, hopeful that our plans will push through, hopeful to see and visit family and relatives back home again. 

What are you hopeful for? 

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How To Host a Movie Night at Home

Lockdowns around the world have many people stuck at home. It's a time of confusion and boredom for those who are used to being out and about. Thankfully, there are many different activities to keep oneself entertained during quarantine, and a movie night is a fun idea for film lovers. Continue reading to learn how to put together the perfect quarantine movie night.

Projector

An HDMI cord can put your computer screen on a bigger screen, but to fully replicate the theater experience, consider audio visual projectors for your home. The image can be projected on any blank wall or backdrop so viewers can see the picture in its entirety. When not playing movies, a projector is perfect for displaying funky backgrounds anytime you want to have a dance party or create a relaxing ambiance.

Snacks

Have plenty of snacks available for your housemates or family. Popcorn is a universally loved cinema snack that can be dressed in butter, caramel, or any seasonings to enhance the flavor. Candy complements the salty, savory taste of popcorn. Along with traditional snacks, try cooking up some new delicious snacks that will satisfy everyone's cravings.

The Movies

A movie night without movies is like a fashion show without fashion—it just cannot go on. Familiar movies never get old, but a new movie you've never seen before could be your new favorite. If a movie marathon is in the books, select a mix of movies under a certain theme, or no theme at all. Many streaming services offer libraries of films of all genres and can be paired with DVDs, also.

Movies are an everlasting pastime that bring people together, even when the theaters are closed. Have these three main things ready so you and your housemates can have a movie night to remember without leaving the house.

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4 Simple Ways to Keep Your House Germ Free During the Pandemic

COVID-19 has caused nearly everyone to spend much more time at home than usual, and this means that your home is likely dirtier and more full of germs than ever before. If you are worried about the germs in your home multiplying, here are 4 simple things that you can do right now to keep your house virus free.
 

Wash Sheets at Least Once a WeekYou spend a great majority of your time at home in your bedroom, so it is essential that you keep items like sheets as clean as possible. Wash your sheets and bedding at least once a week to keep germs at bay. Once you have run your sheets through a wash cycle, dry them on high heat to kill any viruses that are lingering.
 

Deep Clean Your Carpets

Simply vacuuming your carpets occasionally is not enough. Hire a service to perform deep Carpet Cleaning Denver to steam out germs and grime that is lurking below the carpet's surface. This is especially important to do if people wear shoes in your home, since shoes are carriers of all different types of dirt that could make you ill.
 

Disinfect Phones and Other AppliancesYour cell phone is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat, according to Time Magazine. Consider how often you touch your phone and other appliances in your home, such as computers, cooking appliances, and even light switches. Though cleaning supplies are in short supply and are tough to find right now, do what you can to sanitize things that you touch frequently so that germs are not inadvertently spread to others. Also be sure to disinfect any high-traffic areas in your home daily, such as kitchen counters and desks. 

Store Your Toothbrush SafelyIt is easy to get into the routine of simply leaving your toothbrush on the bathroom vanity when you are finished brushing your teeth, but this is a breeding ground for germs. Instead, place your toothbrush upright in a toothbrush holder so that the bristles are not making contact with any surface that could be dirty. If you do not have a toothbrush holder, at least put it in a drawer so it is not sitting on a counter and susceptible to infection.

Keeping your home germ free while quarantined may seem daunting, but it is possible. Ensure that you are cleaning as often as you can and you won't have to worry about viruses invading your space. 

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The New Normal in School

Schools have opened once again for the non-graduating grades after the Pentecost break here in the Federal State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Beginning last June 15, 2020, school children were allowed to go to school.

New Class Schedule
Most schools have however modified the class schedules, wherein only the core subjects will have classroom instruction. For the case of my daughter, she will only have Math, German, English, Latin, Biology and Visual Arts. I don't understand why they included Visual Arts in the schedule but anyway, they will only be required to come for a few hours a day, with the longest at around 4 hours and the shortest at 2,5 hours. To uphold the social distancing requirement, the school has reduced the number of students coming to class at a time by dividing them into two groups. One group will come during the Week A schedule and the 2nd group will come during the Week B schedule. Since there are only six weeks remaining before the summer break, that means that they would only need to come to school for a total of three weeks. On days when a child does not need to go to school, some minor subject teachers have opted to continue with online instruction.

Mandatory Wearing of Face Masks
The children will be required to wear face masks whenever they are not seated in their seats. This is for their own and others' protection since the enemy is invisible.

Mess Halls Are Closed
There will be no canteen service for the remaining 6 weeks in school for safety reasons, which would mean that the children will need to bring their own food for snacks and lunches. As parents, we should make sure that our children have enough to eat and drink when they go to school for this time period. I should make a menu with my daughter so that we prepare her food ahead of time and so that she will not go hungry at school.

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A Different Easter

It has been more than a month now since the state of Baden-Württemberg implemented the protective measures to stem the spread of the Corona virus. Schools have closed since then and school children find themselves home schooling. Workers who are not in the critical infrastructure are urged to work from home. Car industries have opted to shut down their production lines. Restaurants, pubs, cinemas, museums, churches, public playgrounds are closed to prevent the gathering of people. All these measures are in place to help stem the spread of the COVID-19, to give the health system the time to accommodate the critical cases. 

Just yesterday, Chancellor Merkel and the state ministers have come to an agreement to relax the protective measures a bit - but by relax, it meant opening some of the shopping stores that have less than 800 sqm. store area whilst still implementing proper distance of 1,5-2 meters. Schools will slowly open beginning May 4th but initially for those who are in their final years and will be undergoing their examinations. Public gatherings and sports events are still not allowed though. Visiting friends and relatives are still restricted, even travel plans. 

It is usually around the Easter holidays when we have travel plans with the family, to enjoy Spring and celebrate Easter somewhere else.  This year is a very different story. We were not able to celebrate Easter somewhere else but celebrated it with the family at home. There was no church gathering and the usual Filipino traditions that I have been accustomed to while growing up like Palm Sunday, the Pabasa beginning on Holy Thursday until Good Friday, going on the Stations of the Cross and then celebrating Eater Sunday at Church with the Filipino community. 

But what I find beautiful in this crisis is the communion with God and friends online. I find it beautiful that I get to pray the rosary and novena for the dead with my high school friends. To attend the holy mass at the comforts of your home through a live broadcast on social media. Even though the churches are closed, communities are still able to gather online, praying at the comforts of home. We get to spend more time with the family. It could get challenging at times, when boredome strikes, but it is still a nice feeling.

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How To Beat COVID-19

It has been months now since the COVID-19 virus has spread throughout the world. It has affected the lives of everyone and the global economy. What makes it more difficult is that it is so new and we don't fully understand the virus yet and we need more data in order to come up with an effective treatment or vaccine against it. For the medical and pharmaceutical fields, it is a race against time.

So what can we do as ordinary citizens to beat this virus? Foremost, we must listen to what our health authorities say. If they are saying to stay at home, then by all means, please do so.

The most basic thing to do is to observe proper hygiene and treat everything you touch and person you meet to be infected with the virus.

Observing proper handwashing technique is very important. We all have seen illustrations and even videos on how to properly do it. It is important to thoroughly wash the hands including the wrists with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, rinse and thoroughly dry. Then sanitize hands with a disinfectant like 70% isopropyl alcohol.

Avoid touching your face especially in public places with unwashed hands. 

Should you sneeze or cough, use your elbow to cover your mouth.

Wear a mask when going out, especially when going to public places.

Keep a 1,5 - 2 meter distance to the person next to you, especially when in public areas. Avoid physical contact like shaking hands. 

Most of all, stay at home when you don't need to go outside to buy groceries or medicines or to see the doctor. This could definitely help save lives.

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Livewires 97 Fundraising for the Frontliners of Southern Philippines

The Corona virus has befallen the entire globe. Everyone is affected, nobody is exempted - no matter what color, religion, race or age group you may be, the virus comes undetected to infect you. Especially vulnerable are the senior citizens, the elder sector of our community aged 60 and above and those whose immune systems are compromised due to pre-existing illnesses like asthma, diabetes, kidney failure, and heart diseases to name a few. 

Many developed countries have a high number of positive cases of Covid-19 patients. Despite the advanced and good healthcare system and facility, some of them are not able to catch up with the pandemic, like in the case of Italy and even Spain. 

For third world countries like my home country, the Philippines, if the virus and contamination gets out of control, then it could really, really be critical for everyone. That is why the government in my country has ordered an enhanced community quarantine, and even extended it until the 30th of April because that is the only way that we can slow down the spread of the virus. This is to give precious time to our healthcare facilities to manage and handle the critical cases, to avoid the crowding of patients in our already full hospitals and to allow time for our scientists and researchers to find a cure. 

In my home country, especially in Southern Philippines, PPEs or personal protective equipment are very difficult to procure. Our frontliners are in dire need of them, because supplies have run out, and without them, they are placing their lives at a very great risk. Aware of this situation, our high school batch called Livewires 97 have initiated a fundraising campaign to help procure these essential PPEs and distribute them to hospitals handling COVID-19 cases like the SPMC (Southern Philippine Medical Center) and DMSFH (Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital) in Davao City, Royeca Hospital in General Santos City and DRMC (Davao Regional Medical Center) in Tagum City.

We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our donors from the day we started our fundraiser.

As of 6PM of April 6 Philippine time, we were able to raise a whopping Php 604,711.23! From all of us from our batch, we are very grateful for you support for our frontliners. Indeed, no amount is too small as your help can go a very long way. If you want to know more about our fundraiser, please feel free to visit us at our official website: www.livewires97.org or visit our Facebook page for updates at facebook.com/livewires97PisaySMC.

Thank you again to everyone with a generous heart. May God bless you and keep you and your family safe and healthy! 

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