Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Last climbing session before locking down of the country

How much things have changed within one week. Last week going climbing (or going out restaurants and bars) was not an issue at all. Today, thousands of people in the country have been tested positive for coronavirus (in Europe). The actual number could be 10 times higher, given the shortage of test kits. We are recommended to stay at home, avoid traveling, using public transportations, and going to crowded areas in general.

On the weekend, we decided not to go to climbing gym, and go outside to climb instead. This was the first time we went climbing outside on our own. We found some slab climbing, which means the wall tilts inwards (like an uphill), and handholds are not really needed for going up the wall. We were used to having our hands on juggy holds, so these walls, even though rated very low (UIAA 3-4, equivalent to 5.6-5.7), we didn't trust our feet so much, which meant my calves got really sore going up the wall. Also, I tried to hold on to the tiniest features on the wall, which didn't help with the actual climbing, but instead served to sooth my psyche.

So we got a good work out, breathed some fresh air (some asshole was chain smoking in the vicinity though), enjoyed the nature, and got a much-needed break from obsessively staring at the increasing coronavirus cases in this country and around the world.

The human brain is not used to dealing with exponential growth. It's amazing how quickly the number of cases in so many European country increase every day. It's also mind-boggling how some people continue to deny how serious this is, despite the amount of information out there exists for Wuhan and for Italy. I must admit, I am simultaneously addicted to checking the increases of coronavirus case numbers, reading about the pandemic news all over the world, and freaked out by the whole situation. The best thing I can do is to limit the amount of time I spend obsessively scanning through Twitter, Facebook, and news sites about Covid-19, and spend more time doing yoga and meditation instead. However, addictions are addictions... it's hard to deny the brain of dopamine hits.

The prospect of finding a job during a pandemic as the world's economy gradually slows down into a halt is not exactly rosy. I guess I should instead use this time to work on my coding skills instead. 

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