Thoughts of a Kazakh in Portugal

Portugal is one of the few countries of Europe which controlled the spread of virus in the early stage based on the lessons of the neighbour European countries such as Spain and Italy. Introducing the emergency state and confinement measures in the earlier stage was crucial in having less cases in Portugal. 

According to my perceptions, the Portuguese people were disciplined during the state of emergency. I remember at the end of March, middle of April, when I passed over the main public and crowdy places in Porto such as Ribeira, Aliados, Matosinhos, they were totally empty. It seemed the city is totally sleeping. People were blocked at their houses in Porto, while others went to stay at the villages around Porto city. Finally, 2nd of May the emergency state finished and the Portuguese Goverment issued a 3-stage plan to reopen the economy and facilitate the restrictions. 

Today is 30th May, 2020, when the second stage is almost over. The small shops, restaurants, bookstores, establishments providing personal hygiene services (hairdressers, barbers) are open by previous appointment and maintenance of the security measures. Next Monday, from 1 June, the 3rd stage will start with opening stores with an area greater than 400 m2 and stores inserted in shopping centres. 

It was hard 2 months of quarantine at home. The lucky side in the case of Portugal is that we did not have hard restrictions as in the case of other EU countries and could have a short walk around the house/ on the shore of the ocean during those two months, of course keeping social distance. I really hope that the Portuguese people will maintain the discipline during all stages of “desconfinamento” as they did during quarantine. Even now we are more “free”, the virus is still around and it is important for all of us to follow the security measures. Last week I had a chance to walk on the shore of the ocean, went to the restaurant in front of the ocean and enjoyed my first coffee with cheesecake after a long quarantine. I can not express my feelings and emotions at that moment, I just enjoyed the moment and was so grateful for it. Now I understand and I believe many others too that, how we did not pay attention and did not appreciate enough small things in the life, which make us happy such as walking, going to the cafe and having a coffee, going shopping, walking in the garden, enjoying the sea view. Let's live the moment and appreciate it. 

Greetings from Porto, Makhabbat