Have you heard? Menthol cigarettes help against Corona. Sounds absurd, and it is, but my neighbor swears by it. Allegedly, viruses can't stand menthol combined with nicotine. He also says that menthol cigarettes help against other colds. Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt would surely agree.
But here's the bad news for my neighbor: The sale of menthol cigarettes has been permanently banned throughout the EU since May 20, 2020. And now?
Solutions are hard to come by. Emigrating is not an option due to Corona. However, now, in June 2020, the initial panic over the disease is gone. It seems that we are only partially concerned about the risk of infection. Especially since, like most other people, I still haven't met anyone who has actually experienced the disease.
Which is a good thing. No one wants to get sick and apart from a few conspiracy theorists, we are mostly rational. And of course, we all wear masks in stores. But do you remember how we used to mock Asian tourists wearing masks just last year? We thought "They're all hypochondriacs".
And there's something else that nobody would have expected in 2019: Last year, everyone was hesitant when it came to traveling by plane. The term "flight shame" was circulating. it is the shame of emitting large amounts of CO2 personally because you used an airplane for travel.
Now in 2020, we have "sneeze shame". This is the shame you feel when you sneeze in public. Be ashamed to go out among people with cough, runny nose, or hoarseness! Every hay fever sufferer automatically apologizes, and asthmatics should do the same, or else they will be looked at strangely. The word "sneeze shame" has actually made it into a dictionary in the Netherlands.
And what about vacations? Nobody needs to be ashamed anymore, as vacations are simply canceled or spent in one's own garden. And those who don't have a garden just go to a green surrounding.
At least that's the current situation.
And of course, we had to cancel our planned trip to Paris and London in April. Or rather, it was canceled for us. At that time there was an unprecedented WORLDWIDE TRAVEL WARNING.
But luckily, our lockdown wasn't like being locked indoors. We were also outside. And for those who couldn't have Paris and London, they settle for Neudietendorf and Nägelstedt.
And of course, we experienced something there too. We actually found ourselves in immediate danger without knowing it. Well, not really, but according to a sign. In one of the most idyllic places ever: A small stream, a cozy little hiking trail next to it with a bench, singing birds. No one around, just us and nature. And at the end of the trail, a sign saying "No entrance due to falling branches. Danger to life". What? You think that you have escaped Corona here in the forest and then this. But don't you have to expect falling branches in every forest? Anyway, we just walked back the same path just to check if it was really dangerous. Nothing happened to us, nothing fell. But sure, it was living on the edge.
And that's how every meeting during this time must be seen, as living on the edge. Wasn't every contact with others potentially deadly? Instinctively, everyone increased their distance zone from others. Not just one meter apart, but rather two meters or more.
And if there were any meetings, they were conspiratorial meetings with family or friends. For example, in the woods, coincidentally at the same place. But no hugs, of course.
Fortunately, the supply didn't fail. We always sat in warmth, there was running water, and only a few items like toilet paper were sold out. We also had enough food. After Corona, not a few people are definitely plumper than before. We fear the same. To support local restaurants, we ordered a loooot of pizza and enjoyed it. But honestly, we are also happy that we can now go back to our other favorite restaurants.
But it was even more relieving to be able to go back to the hairdresser. For me and certainly for all hairdressers who were missing out on income. Although I'm sure everyone wished for a two-month break at some point, it was too much for my short haircut. I even remember the date of the reopening (May 4, 2020) because I was looking forward to that day so much. And I was lucky to get an appointment on that day. Stores operating without appointments even formed long queues. Hairdressers have never been collectively appreciated like this before.
I even know reports that some people were secretly getting their hair done in some back room during the lockdown. The need was so great. But it could have been really expensive for both the hairdresser and the customer.
That reminds me of a funny little story to end this report, also from the lockdown period: You should know that essential workers like bankers, including me, were allowed to go to work the whole time.
So during this time, I read a newspaper article to my colleagues. It was about two nail salons in Erfurt that were caught secretly serving customers. My colleague then asked again, "Who reopened?" and I said, "Two nail salons", and he said, "Oh, the brothels have reopened!".
Well, did you get the joke? I know, it takes a bit of time. You have until the next diary entry to think about it.
