{"id":2828,"date":"2020-12-31T19:40:49","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T19:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/?p=2828"},"modified":"2021-04-30T13:38:00","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T13:38:00","slug":"2020-memories-are-made-of-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/2020-memories-are-made-of-this\/","title":{"rendered":"2020 Memories are made of this"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 292 [31 December 2020]
or Goodbye 2020, if I never see you again will it be too soon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Published: 31 December 2020 ~ 2020 Memories are made of this<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The End is Nigh! <\/strong>Well, you would think so from the aggregated hype bubbling furiously over the past 12 months in the cauldrons of the western media. Never before in recent history has the press had the opportunity to indulge itself in a Groundhog Field Day like the one that has been handed to them by the pandemic (or is that scamdemic?). But enough of the soothsaying and a tad more soothing-saying, if you don\u2019t mind. The end is nigh for 2020: Time to reflect on the past 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diary of a Self-isolating Englishman in Kaliningrad
Previous articles:<\/strong>
Article 1: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 1 [20 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 2: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 6 [25 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 3: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 7 [26 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 4: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 9 [28 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 5: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 10 [29 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 6: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 16 [4 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 7: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 19 [7 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 8: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 35 [23 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 9: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 52 [10 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 10: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 54 [12 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 11: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 65 [23 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 12: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 74 [1 June 2020]<\/a>
Article 13: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 84 [11 June 2020]<\/a>
Article 14: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 98 [25 June 2020]<\/a>
Article 15: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 106 [3 July 2020]<\/a>
Article 16: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 115 [12 July 2020]<\/a>
Article 17: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 138 [30 July 2020]<\/a>
Article 18: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 141 [2 August 2020]<\/a>
Article 19: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 169 [30 August 2020]<\/a>
Article 20: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 189 [19 September 2020]<\/a>
Article 21: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 209 [9 October 2020]<\/a>
Article 22: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 272 [11 December 2020]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My period of voluntary self-isolation began back in March 2020, and like most people I have evaluated the quality of my life during this epoch as a series of stops, starts and checks. However, on looking back I realise that although the impediment of coronavirus fear and its attendant restrictions have cast a long shadow over our social life, it never succeeded in inflicting a total eclipse. As my wife is fond of saying, \u201cHumans can adapt to anything in time\u201d, and whilst in my books I have committed the cardinal sin by steering clear of bars and other places where people tend to congregate, in retrospect 2020 was far from totally written off. Indeed, in spite of muzzle-wearing and fetishistic hand-sanitising, we did still have a life ~ we met friends, took several trips to the coast, visited art galleries and places of historical interest, entertained at home and, most importantly, used the extra time that we had at our disposal in the most constructive ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We certainly managed to get more done around the house and in the garden ~ especially in the garden. This is Olga\u2019s pet project: converting what was a slab of inherited concrete into a proper, functioning outdoor area, where she can enjoy the flowers and trees, and I can enjoy a pint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years ago, in the mists of a different time, I worked on a magazine called Successful Gardening<\/em>, from which I learnt that my greatest contribution to any practical endeavour in this field would be to make myself scarce, which is exactly what I did. So, I have to confess that the lion\u2019s share of the work was done by my wife. Yet, I feel no need for excuse making. Gardening is a sport, and like any other sport, some you participate in; in others you are a spectator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where coronavirus is concerned, it is for my family and friends back in the UK that I feel the most sorry. The UK media has not had the opportunity to be this gory and ghastly in its coverage since Jack the Ripper terrorised Whitechapel. Not even brutal acts of terrorism, which are officially swept under the carpet by deflection techniques that focus on holding hands and candle-lit vigils, come close to the penny dreadful coverage that coronavirus receives. It would not be half so bad if 1 + 1 = 2, but nothing about the measures being taken to combat coronavirus in the UK ~ the draconian measures ~ seems to add up, and, as with Brexit, the country appears to be split yet again, and uncannily yet again, as with Brexit, the fault lines are political and a peculiar inversion of the status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In complete contradiction to the overt emphasis placed at any other time on civil liberties and the evils of the so-called surveillance society, 1984 and all that, it is the left that appears to be screaming for lockdown, mask-wearing and any other hard and fast rules. Indeed, they do not seem to be able to get enough of it, and, with the illiberality that is customary with liberals, are spitting tar and feathers at anyone who is impudent enough to advocate liberty above home slavery. The megaphone message is:  Do as you are told! Stay in! Don\u2019t go anywhere, or we are all going to die!!.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, there are a lot better things to do with your time than dying but is being bolted and barred in your home for what little there is left of your life it? The older we become the more precious life becomes, but so does living your life. It is the Bitch of having been born at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem, or at least one of the salient problems of getting old ~ and for some inexplicable reason we all tend to do it, get old, I mean ~ is that you reach the stage where you think you can hear each grain of sand dropping into the hour glass, and whilst it is normal on the push-penny arcade machine of life to brace yourself for the moment when inevitably your turn will come, when you will be bumped off down the chute, the media over the past 12 months has not missed a trick in reminding us that the man with the cowl and scythe is busier than he has ever been pushing coins into the slot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one can deny that there has been a lot of death about, and sadly we were not spared. Our good friend, Stanislav (Stas) died in November 2020. Immediately, rumours abounded that he had died of coronavirus, the majority of people having become so obsessed with the virus that it has become almost impermissible to die from anything else. Stas did not die from coronavirus. But he did die, and with his passing we lost a very good and much-loved friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without doubt, one of the most perplexing things about getting older is that not only do you have to come to terms with your own mortality, you also have to come to terms with the loss off those who are nearest and dearest. Each loss tears a hole in the fabric of life that can never be repaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But enough of this morbidity. Like everything in life, what some people lose on the swings others gain on the merry-go-rounds, and whilst we can conclude that whereas it has been a troubled year for most of us, especially those on the frontline ~ doctors, nurses, paramedics and the rest ~ if you have the good fortune to be a mask producer, the director of a pharmaceutical industry, a media magnate, I do not suppose that Mr Coronavirus seems such a bad fellow after all, and this is without mentioning the increased yields experienced in the funeral industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enough said: In a consummately original and unplagiaristic moment, my valediction for the year 2020 is that it was \u2018the best of years, \u2018t\u2019was the worst of years\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of 2020 as a painful tooth that needs to be extracted by the dentist: you might miss it, but you will certainly be glad it has gone \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy New Year
to One & All <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"2020<\/figure><\/div>
\"Mick<\/figure><\/div>
\"Svetlogorsk<\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"Gothic<\/figure><\/div>
\"Flowers<\/figure><\/div>
\"New<\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"2020<\/figure><\/div>
\"Kaliningrad<\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"2020<\/figure><\/div>
\"Ferris<\/figure><\/div>
\"Olga<\/figure><\/div>
\"Mick<\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"2020<\/figure><\/div>
\"Drinking<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2020 memories are made of this <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Related article: Out of 2020 Out of the EU<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9 2018-2021 Mick Hart. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 292 [31 December 2020]or Goodbye 2020, if I never see you again will it be too soon? Published: 31 December 2020 ~ 2020 Memories are made of this The End is Nigh! Well, you would think so from the aggregated hype bubbling furiously over the past 12 months in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,6],"tags":[1352,262,596,1345,435,14,1353,1349,1350,351,232,252,623,537,1351],"class_list":["post-2828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diary-2019-2020","category-kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary","tag-2020-memories-are-made-of-this","tag-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories","tag-coronavirus-language-the-mask-argument","tag-coronavirus-truth-or-trickery","tag-englishman-in-kaliningrad-russia","tag-englishman-in-russia","tag-goodbye-2020","tag-happy-new-year-2020-2021","tag-happy-new-year-from-kaliningrad","tag-lockdown-confusion","tag-lockdown-kaliningrad","tag-lockdown-rules-uk","tag-olga-hart-in-kaliningrad","tag-olga-hart-in-zelenogradsk","tag-the-end-is-nigh"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Happy-New-Year-FROM-ZELENOGRADSK-russia-2021.png?fit=2128%2C4608&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3447,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/spring-brings-people-out-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":2828,"position":0},"title":"Spring Brings People Out in Kaliningrad","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"12 \u0430\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043b\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 394 [12 April 2021]And what has all this got to do with coronavirus and self-isolation? 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In fact, I think I am right in saying, and I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, that there is no lockdown across\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2021","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2239,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/self-isolating-englishman-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":2828,"position":2},"title":"Self-isolating Englishman in Kaliningrad","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"19 \u0441\u0435\u043d\u0442\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 189 [19 September 2020]The thin dividing line between caution and common sense Published: 19 September 2020 Reckless, lax, less cautious, or a simple case of resumed normalcy? How should I describe the shift in my attitude to coronavirus, having, at the time of writing, completed\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2019\/2020"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2019\/2020","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2019-2020\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Me-pint-at-night-2-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Me-pint-at-night-2-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Me-pint-at-night-2-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3314,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/running-out-of-kitchen-cabinets-in-the-uk\/","url_meta":{"origin":2828,"position":3},"title":"Running out of kitchen cabinets in the UK","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"14 \u043c\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0430, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 365 [14 March 2021] Anniversary of self-isolating in Kaliningrad Congratulations to who, exactly? To WHO? Today marks my first anniversary of self-imposed self-isolation ~ of sorts. Three hundred and sixty-five days of watching where I go and who is standing three hundred and sixty degrees\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2021","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Running out of kitchen cabinets in the UK","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/R.I.P..png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/R.I.P..png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/R.I.P..png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/R.I.P..png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/R.I.P..png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4891,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/qr-codes-enforced-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":2828,"position":4},"title":"QR Codes Enforced in Kaliningrad","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"11 \u043e\u043a\u0442\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 576 [11 October 2021] 8 October 2021, QR codes are officially introduced in Kaliningrad and across the Kaliningrad region. What are they? Think Vaccination Passports in the UK and you are on the right track. Published: 11 October 2021 ~ QR Codes Enforced in Kaliningrad\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2021","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Bear-slamming-door.png?fit=300%2C250&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1927,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/englishman-chilling-in-zelenogradsk-with-bear-beer\/","url_meta":{"origin":2828,"position":5},"title":"Englishman Chilling in Zelenogradsk with Bear & Beer","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"8 \u0430\u0432\u0433\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0430, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 141 [2 August 2020] Published: 8 August 2020 'You ought to get out more!' Since the birth of coronavirus, the intentional irony in this off-hand remark has taken on a whole new irrational meaning. We know that we want to get out more, but we\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2019\/2020"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2019\/2020","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2019-2020\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Englishman Chilling in Zelenogradsk with Bear & Beer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/With-a-bear.jpg?fit=555%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/With-a-bear.jpg?fit=555%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/With-a-bear.jpg?fit=555%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2828\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}