"Teatro in times of plague"

6450 cases, 262 deaths

We are in process this week of starting to open up again. I think it’s a mistake: numbers continue to rise with no end in sight. But the business sector is insisting on it, and it also has the advantage that people that survive on day-to-day sales will finally have some income again. The opening up is in three different zones, according to how many cases there are in the zone. We are in the slowest zone, for being in the hardest-hit area. Public transport (including taxis) is still not functioning; but stores are opening and some of the maquilas (though not all). I don’t know how people can get to work without public transport.

At the same time we continue with the curfew and the number system to go out.

Thursday, June 11, 2020 - 7360 Cases, 291 deaths

The Regidores (The Powers that be – the Board of Aldermen) of San Pedro Sula have declared that San Pedro Sula remains in state of emergency for three more months. At the same time, it seems that the opening up continues apace.

Today was my day: my number is 9. I went out in the morning. There are still no taxis nor buses, so traffic is light. But it seemed normal. They’ve taken out the barricades downtown and everything is accessible. Most stores and market stands are open for business, it seemed.

I went to the teatro, where a goodly number of the muchachos were organizing a recording session for El Lorax. (We have to pick them up to bring them to the teatro, since there is no public transport.) Edy and Luis take care of that. Edy is doing a run-thru with them and Luis has the recording gear ready, so I can have a huddle with him They are still having trouble with things falling on the roof.

We had a huddle and did some calculating with an eye to a payday the 15th of the month. And we still don’t have the bookkeeping up to date. Well, we’re moving in that direction.

I recruited Israel, the grounds-keeper, to go with me as bodyguard so that I didn’t have to interrupt the rehearsal/recording session. To get to the bank we circumnavigate downtown and turn down the street of fast-food joints (Pizza Hut, Burger King, Domino’s, Popeye, KFC and others. We get there and there is a parking space – a good sign. Sure enough there were only a couple of people with the tellers and I was the next in line. Turned out the person who opened up a teller for me was Lizeth, Edy’s wife and the administrator of the ballet school. All was well and it only took me a few minutes in the bank. We drove back to the teatro without incident. Luis immediately put Israel to work clearing branches on the roof.

I had another pow-wow with Luis. Then I started back for home. There was a police check-point on the way. I was legal. Of course they waved me on and didn’t even check my id. They only ask for your papers when you’ve got something wrong with them.

Friday, June 12, 2020 - 7669 cases, 294 deaths.

I went to the office this morning to print some files. (We have a printer in the house, but it’s been reconfigured and I can’t figure out how to work it. Technological trauma.) Luis picked me up – he has the safe conduct so we can go out on that. It seems that they are enforcing the thing of needing your number to buy in the stores. There was a huge line in Banco de Occidente of people looking to cash remesas.

Luis played for me some of what they recorded yesterday. Sounds pretty good, although we didn’t give it a serious test on big speakers, just on the computer. We printed up the files I wanted and Luis drove me back to the house.

In the afternoon a serious storm came in and it rained hard. It cooled everything down nicely; I’m glad I didn’t have to be out in it.

Saturday, June 13, 2020 - 8132 cases, 306 deaths.

We watched (projected) all three Godfather movies this week. That was quite a project. (No pun intended). I had previously only seen the first one. I think the first one remains the best one, because the presence of Brando is so intense.

Sunday, June 14, 2020 - 8455 cases, 310 deaths.

On Saturday nights during their regular season, St. Louis Public Radio broadcasts the St. Louis Symphony concerts live. I can listen to that via internet, so I have been able to keep up with the doings of the also. They cancelled the season of course with COVID, but the station has been running older broadcasts – as far as I can tell they are playing those of the new music director; I imagine getting rights to other previous conductors would be complicated. Last night they rebroadcast a concert I was present for when I was in the States last September. It was the Mahler Symphony #2. It was a glorious reading of the piece. The recording was of course inferior to the experience of “being there”, but was a great way to spend an evening.

Keep safe and wash your hands.

Jack

 

 

 


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