How to run a successful crowdfunding campaign

I started writing this blog nine years ago after moving to Berlin. I’ve written around 90 posts covering all sorts of topics, from German parenting styles to Brexit, from street art to the Berlin film festival and, most recently, about life in lockdown and life after lockdown. But of all the posts I’ve written over the years, there is one that stands out for number of views. It is the piece I wrote at the beginning of last year about my crowdfunding campaign to publish a book. Incidentally, that was the only entry for 2019, since my time and energy were entirely devoted to the campaign and to the book (spoiler alert: a crowdfunding campaign is extremely time consuming). As this is clearly a topic of interest, I’ve decided to share my personal experience and views on crowdfunding.

Was it worth it?

The short answer is yes. For me it was worth running a crowdfunding campaign. Having said this, there are many downsides to crowdfunding and, in some instances, it might be preferable to find an alternative. 

In my case, the goal was to get a book published. In order to reach publication and to start the editing process, I needed 200 pre-orders of the paper book or of the e-book in 100 days. That meant convincing roughly 200 people to pay in advance for a book that might never see the light of day. 

I should point out that if the campaign had ended with fewer than 60 orders, the supporters would have been reimbursed. With 60-200 orders, my manuscript would undergo a “light editing” process. It would be printed and sent to my supporters, but not published.

Luckily my crowdfunding campaign was successful: I reached the goal while on holiday on a small and windy island in the North Sea with poor Internet connection (that's where the picture was taken). The book was published in January 2020.

 

Is there anything I wish I had known beforehand?

There are various reasons why you might want to start a crowdfunding campaign and, depending on your project (a book, an album, a film, a start-up, etc.), there are different platforms you can use and different amounts of money you can raise. Some people use crowdfunding to raise funds for medical costs. If you have no experience of crowdfunding, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. There are numerous websites, articles, videos and books devoted to crowdfunding. Obviously, there are huge differences depending on the type of project and on the goal, but I would say that any crowdfunding campaign will require a lot of time and energy. 

Before I started, I don’t think I realised how much work it would be. Moreover, I had no idea how difficult it would be to persuade and motivate people. Finally, I had not considered the costs of promoting a campaign (for example, for printing flyers or, in my case, postcards and organising events). It really was a full-time job and I ended up with repetitive strain injury caused by overusing my hands for typing and clicking!

Before you embark on a crowdfunding campaign, ask yourself: 

Do I really have time and energy for this? 

Do I want to be in the spotlight for the entire duration of the campaign?

What is my budget?

What was the best part of the crowdfunding campaign?

I think the best way to describe a crowdfunding campaign is as a roller coaster ride. There is never a dull moment, with plenty of ups and downs. For me the positives far outweighed the negatives. The support I received from family and friends was tremendous. And, as well as being in close contact with almost all my friends, I also made new friends thanks to the crowdfunding campaign.

Tips on how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign

• First of all, you need to establish whether your goal is realistic. I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t aim high, but you should try to aim for something that is achievable. In my case, it was realistic, but it wasn’t easy. The main difficulty I faced was trying to promote a book written in Italian, while living in Germany. Though I have a lot of Italian friends and my parents still live in Italy, I haven’t lived in Italy since I was 18. And although Berlin has a big Italian community, many of the people I know don’t speak Italian. So, the language was a problem. Still, I’m not sure that it would have been easier if the book had been in English, as many of my friends are not fluent in English. Writing in German is not an option as my language skills are inadequate (I’m not being modest). I’m especially grateful to friends and family members who supported my campaign, particularly those whose Italian language skills are very basic.

• Your project needs to sound appealing to a wide audience. Obviously, there is no point running a crowdfunding campaign for something that generates little or no interest. Just because I read a lot of books, doesn’t mean that everyone else does. Some people don’t read any books at all, as I’ve discovered.  

• You need a strong supporter base, by that I mean friends and family, work colleagues, sports friends, friends of friends, anyone that will support you and help you to achieve your goal. Once you have established your core supporters, you need to expand your network. I contacted hundreds of people: nursery and school friends, university friends, work colleagues, neighbours, parents and teachers from my son’s nursery school and primary school, random strangers, people I met at book presentations and bookshops, people I met at cafés, basically anyone who came to mind or I happened to meet.

• You and your campaign need to be visible, so it definitely helps if you are a sociable person with lots of friends and contacts, both in real life and in the digital world. You also need to be enthusiastic about the project and be as persuasive as possible. I have no experience in politics, but at times it felt like being on the campaigning trail. Think of yourself as a politician: you need to be visible, convincing and win people’s support. Tell everyone you know about your crowdfunding campaign and organise events to promote it. I invited my friends in Berlin for an aperitivo to promote the launch of the campaign. I gave a little speech about the project, the crowdfunding campaign and I read the first pages of the book. About a month before the end of the campaign, I gave a party for friends and supporters. As well as providing music, food and drink, I also read some extracts from the book. When the book was finally published, I gave a presentation at the Italian bookshop in Berlin and had a little party with friends and family. I was lucky that I didn’t have to face the Covid restrictions, but you can also organise digital events and presentations.

• Social media is indispensable. If you hate using Facebook, Instagram and the like, then perhaps you should reconsider. If I hadn’t had social media, I wouldn’t have been able to reach my goal. Having said that, I’m not one of those people with thousands of Facebook friends and when I started the campaign, I didn’t have many followers on Instagram. I still don’t have that many followers, but I have a few more than I did 18 months ago. Make sure you post content on a regular basis to generate and keep up interest around your campaign and to find new supporters.

• You need to be patient. Even if people sound genuinely enthusiastic about your project, they won’t all rush to your crowdfunding website. Some may forget, some may simply be too busy, some may wish to spend their money elsewhere. Some may need a gentle reminder or two, while others will never get round to it. Some people struggle with technology and online orders. You will have to be patient and guide them through the process. You will probably find that not everyone is convinced that crowdfunding is a good idea, especially in publishing, and some people will refuse to support you on principle. In that case, just accept their opinion and look for supporters elsewhere. 

• Try to keep an open mind and don’t be afraid of experimenting and of stepping outside your comfort zone. If one approach doesn’t work, try something new. I’m not very comfortable with videos, but I did make one to explain what the crowdfunding campaign was about. One friend suggested posting pictures of animals to attract interest, but that didn’t work in my case. What did work, was a postcard that another friend designed, and which became the image of the campaign. It showed an ironic sentence taken from the book and an eye-catching picture to accompany it. Handing out the postcard to people I met was a good way of introducing my book campaign to them and arousing their curiosity. I also left some postcards in Italian cafés in my area and in an Italian bookshop. They disappeared pretty quickly.  

• Don’t give up. Try to remain positive and to stay calm and focused. There will be bad days, but hopefully they will be followed by better days. Even if you don’t reach the goal in the end, be proud of what you have achieved.

Good luck, or as they say in German, viel Erfolg (literally “lots of success”)!

If anyone would like to read my book, Liberate Lina Pellica, you can find it at Mondolibro, the Italian bookshop in Berlin Mitte, you can order it from most bookshops in Italy, you can order it from the publisher and you can also buy it on Amazon. It is also available as an e-book.

A tricky telephone conversation

Anyone who speaks a foreign language will know that certain situations are particularly tricky: for example, when you’re on the telephone (and can’t see the facial expressions and lip movements of the other person); when you’re on the telephone and the person at the other end is giving you distressing news; when you’re on the telephone, the person at the other end is giving you distressing news and can’t pronounce the German consonant "z" properly (the German consonant "z" sounds like "ts" in English).

Last Friday, I had just sat down at my desk to write a post about my experience with crowdfunding, when the phone suddenly rang. It was a local Berlin number, caller unknown. When I picked up, the male voice at the other end of the line sounded excessively jolly; the man was clearly trying not to alarm me. As soon as I heard the word Schwimmhalle, or swimming pool, I realised this would not be a jolly conversation indeed. He was calling to inform me that my son had just had an accident and had injured his "Fahn". He repeated the word that sounded like "Fahn" and I wondered what on earth he meant. I had never heard of a "Fahn". What could you injure in a swimming pool? How worried should I be? He also suggested I should make an appointment with a doctor of some sort. By now I was getting quite frantic.

The German language is renowned for its compound words. The word for doctor is Arzt and the words denoting most specialist doctors are compound nouns ending in arzt. For instance, a paediatrician is a Kinderarzt (literally children’s doctor), a gynaecologist is a Frauenarzt (women’s doctor), a dermatologist is a Hautarzt (skin doctor), while a dentist is a Zahnarzt (tooth doctor). If only I could understand what doctor he meant, then I might be able to guess which part of the body had been injured. After the man repeated the word Zahnarzt several times, I suddenly realised that my son had hurt his tooth.

I put on my face mask, jumped into a taxi and gave the driver the address of the swimming pool. During the short taxi ride, I kept replaying the sentence in my head “Hopefully the tooth can still be saved”, which I realised is what the man had actually said. That didn’t sound too reassuring. When I got to the pool, I saw a group of schoolchildren waiting outside; they were being instructed in the AHA rules. I made my way inside and followed the yellow arrows on the floor, courtesy of the coronavirus regulations, and eventually found my son talking to the Bademeister or pool supervisor. After signing the accident form, we were joined by the swimming instructor, who first told me about the accident, but then proceeded to complain about the other children’s poor breaststroke technique. Somehow it didn’t seem like an appropriate conversation, given that I’d been called there for an emergency.

For anyone who hasn’t learnt to swim in Germany, you should know that children in this country first have to master breaststroke perfectly before they can learn any other stroke. I read in a German newspaper once that this tradition stems from the army: you need to be able to swim with your head above water to hear commands and to keep an eye out for the enemy! 

When we eventually got to the dentist, my son was seen very quickly, and we were reassured that his Zahn wasn’t loose, while his gum would heal rapidly despite looking, in the words of the dentist, gruesome. I will spare you the gory details, suffice it so say, it involved a piece of gum and some bleeding. By Monday morning, the gum had healed as if by magic, and he was able to go back to school. All’s well that ends well.

To go back to the beginning of this story, in order to be able to speak a foreign language on the phone, it’s not enough to be a good listener, you also have to be good at guesswork.

*Photo by Sharjeel Khalid on Unsplash

Aha! The new normal

The summer in Berlin ended two weeks ago, when thermometers recorded a spectacular drop of 20°C. One day we were heading to lakes and outdoor pools for relief from the heat and the next we were rummaging through our wardrobes for cardigans and raincoats. Although the summer is technically not over yet, there is an autumnal feel in the air. The mornings have turned decidedly chilly, while the fallen leaves on the ground are getting more noticeable. As the coronavirus summer ends, the coronavirus autumn begins.

Aha!

Some of us were lucky enough to enjoy a proper summer break, perhaps even going abroad, while others opted for a staycation. For most of us, though, the holiday time is over and it’s back to old routines, well not quite. The new normal in Germany is represented by the AHA rules. In this case Aha is not an exclamation to express satisfaction or surprise - Aha! So that’s how you defeat coronavirus! - and it also doesn’t stand for alpha-hydroxy acid. Moreover, it doesn't refer to the Norwegian pop band that was popular in the eighties (Take on meee!). In the year 2020, AHA is an abbreviation of Abstand (distance), Hygiene (hygiene) and Alltagsmasken (daily masks). 

Going back to school

While children around the world are returning to school or are preparing to go back to school in the coming weeks, here in Berlin children have already completed their fourth week of school. The first week was dedicated to learning the AHA rules obviously. Apart from the compulsory masks, the social distancing (not in classrooms) and hygiene rules, school here is pretty much back to normal. We even managed to have an Elternabend or parents’ evening (a general meeting about the class) in the assembly hall, where we were all sitting 2m apart and wearing masks.

It's virus time

As life gradually returns to normal, albeit under the AHA rules, and recreational and cultural activities pick up, what can we expect? Viruses of course! However much we wash our hands and keep away from crowded places, viruses will reach us, especially if we spend time with children. As GPs and paediatricians are keen to point out, there are plenty of viruses out there, in addition to the infamous one. 

After three weeks of school, the first virus made its way into our home, in the form of a sore throat, runny nose and fever.  I spent last weekend wondering whether it was coronavirus and where to get tested. When I finally managed to get through to the paediatrician to ask for advice on the following Monday, it became clear that a Covid-19 test would not be required. Luckily, it wasn’t a serious infection and it cleared up after a few days. In the area where I live, it seems that the only way to get a free test without a long wait is to return from a Risikogebiet, i.e. a region at risk. When I started sneezing and feeling under the weather, my husband suggested booking a cheap return flight to Spain so that I could get tested. The alternative would be a private test in Berlin that costs €158,65. Sunshine and tapas here I come! 

On a serious note, check the guidelines for your country or region. If you live in Berlin and your child is ill, this PDF by the Berlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family explains what to do.

Flying in the time of coronavirus

Cancelled flights, concerns about the safety of air travel, worries about the rise in the number of Covid-19 infections at destination and the eventuality of quarantine on return mean that flying in the time of coronavirus can be a nightmare. It is not surprising therefore that many people have decided not to go abroad this summer. Others, meanwhile, have opted to travel by car to avoid being in close contact with potentially infectious travellers.

 

Is it safe to fly?

If you don’t fancy the prospect of driving 2,500 Km or more to visit your family, flying is probably the fastest and safest option, albeit not the most environmentally friendly. According to experts, if you consider various forms of travel, such as bus and train, the risk of Covid transmission inside an aircraft cabin might actually be the lowest. This is because planes use a hepa (high-efficiency particulate air) filter that ensures air inside the cabin is either fresh or recirculated. However, the risk increases if the plane is full, especially if you are sitting next to someone who is infected.

Will my flight be cancelled?

Bearing all this in mind, my family and I set off for Berlin’s Tegel airport by taxi on a bright sunny morning at the end of June. We all wore face masks, including the taxi driver, and we had the car window open to let in a steady breeze. I carried a selection of spare masks in my hand luggage, as well as travel-size hand sanitiser and disinfectant – the essential items when travelling in the coronavirus era.  We had already had one set of flights cancelled by Lufthansa in June (only 12 days after booking – we are still waiting for a refund, as are thousands of others) and, right up until boarding, I had doubts about whether our Swiss flights actually existed and whether we would make our connecting flight in Zurich.

 

Will social distancing be possible?

When we arrived at the airport, Tegel was almost deserted and most of the shops were closed. The queue at the bag drop was much shorter than usual, and passengers generally observed the mask-wearing and physical distancing rules. Once we got to our gate, it became more difficult to keep a distance from others, as more people arrived, so we moved upstairs, where we found fewer people and more comfortable seats. When the announcement to board the plane was made, the airport staff made the usual distinction between business and economy passengers, but other than that we were all called to board at the same time. It was difficult to maintain a physical distance, especially when queuing in the jet-bridge, but at least everyone was wearing a mask.

 

What happens on board?

Once on board, we were greeted by the mask-wearing crew and we were given a disinfectant wipe. The idea is for passengers to disinfect all surfaces close to their seat. We were also given a questionnaire to fill out with our contact and travel details, including our seat number on the plane. According to the airline Swiss, “where possible, neighbouring seats will be kept vacant”, but both our planes were full and, as far as we could tell, there were very few free seats. Swiss has a “modified and partly reduced onboard service”, which “aims at reducing the number of physical interactions between crew and guests”. As both our flights were over 45 minutes, there was a reduced beverage service and on our second flight we were given a snack. There were no Duty-Free sales though. Zurich airport was busier than Tegel, as there were more flights departing. Most shops were closed, but we were able to buy sandwiches.

 

Are the regulations the same in other EU and Schengen countries?

I’ve already written about the confusion caused by the contradictory information regarding Covid. To add to the confusion, when you travel abroad, you discover that each country has different regulations about face masks and physical distance.  For instance, at Zurich airport wearing a face mask is not compulsory, but passengers are encouraged to wear one if a 1.5 m distance cannot be observed. As we were queuing to board our flight to Palermo, we heard an announcement about larger pieces of hand luggage to be placed in the hold.

 

What are the regulations when travelling to Italy?

The Italian National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has prohibited the use of overhead lockers. Small handbags are still allowed, as long as they can be placed under the seat in front of you. The measure is intended to facilitate boarding and disembarking and avoid the formation of crowds. Once on board, we were advised to wear our protective masks. They are compulsory on all Edelweiss flights, “whenever social distancing is not possible”. After take-off, there was another announcement, presumably as we were now flying over Italian airspace: in Italy it is mandatory to wear a protective mask on airplanes at all times. We were also given a self-certification form to fill out declaring we were not suffering from Covid or subject to quarantine. When we landed in Palermo, we disembarked as usual and walked into the terminal, where our body temperature was scanned. After waiting an hour for our luggage, we discovered that 55 suitcases were missing, including ours. Apparently, there had been a problem at Zurich airport. Two days later, after having our body temperature scanned three times at different points in Palermo airport and after a security check, we were finally able to collect our luggage.

 

Do I need to quarantine?

If you travel to Italy from other EU and Schengen countries there is no requirement for quarantine, but it’s probably wise to keep an extra distance from others, just in case.

Life coming out of lockdown: weeks 14 and 15

As the lockdown measures continue to be relaxed (Corona-Lockerung, as it’s known in Germany), life in Berlin is slowly returning to something resembling normality. At the same time, the number of infections continues to rise, so there is some concern as to whether the restrictions will have to be brought back. There have been reports of outbreaks in Neukölln and Friedrichshain, where entire apartment blocks have been put in quarantine, but at the moment the situation is said to be “under control”.

 

Lockdown relaxation

 

As of 27 June, there will no longer be contact restrictions (Kontaktbeschränkungen), meaning that Berliners may meet an unlimited number of people. However, social contacts should be kept to a minimum. The 1.5 m distance and other hygiene rules still apply. Generally, things are a lot more organised, efficient and not as crowded these days. Still, as I found out waiting outside a shop this week, some people here still have trouble understanding the concept of queuing. Also, as restaurants and cafes have been allowed to spread their tables out onto the pavements, getting by can be tricky, especially if you are cycling with a child.

 

Cycling with children in Berlin

 

On Monday 22 June I became, in my husband’s words, «a true Berliner», i.e. I shouted back at someone on the street. In Berlin, road rage is a local pastime. Whenever I am out and about, I often hear someone shouting, be it a motorist or a cyclist or a pedestrian. Sometimes it’s justified, while other times it’s unnecessary. Well on Monday I was told off by a man for cycling along the pavement with my son. He pointed to the cycle lane on the road and told me in an arrogant tone: «Das ist der Radweg!» (That is the cycle lane). So, I shouted back: «Und das ist ein Kind!» (And that is a child). I’m really fed up of people telling me off for something that is permitted by law. In case you don’t believe me, this is the link. In Germany, parents are allowed to cycle on the pavement with their children, if they are under the age of 8. Moreover, children under 8 are not allowed to cycle on the road so they have to cycle on the pavement. Thus, they can use cycle tracks (where cyclists are physically separated from traffic), but they can’t use cycle lanes, which are on the road.

 

Fines for not wearing masks

 

Despite the popular notion of Germans being law-abiding, not everyone follows the rules. In Berlin there have been reports of illegal parties in parks and fewer people have been wearing face masks on public transport. The Berlin Senate has thus responded by introducing fines between €50 and €500 for violations of the mask-wearing requirement, effective from 27 June. There will also be fines for violations of the hygiene rules.  

 

Corona warning app

 

The Corona-Warn-app was introduced in Germany last week and since 16 June can be downloaded. The idea is to warn people if they have been in contact with an infected person. Use of the app is voluntary but is recommended to “break chains of infection”. I decided to give it a go and after 8 days of tracking, luckily my risk is defined as low.

 

Germany reopens its borders

 

On 15 June Germany reopened its borders to other EU members. As a result, air travel has picked up and we’ve started to hear and see more planes in the sky over Berlin. Nevertheless, airlines continue to cancel flights using the coronavirus as a reason. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to has decided to drive to France, Austria or Italy for the holidays. As one mother at school pointed out: «I have so many airline vouchers, I don’t know what to do with them». We are supposed to be getting a full refund from Lufthansa for a flight that was cancelled only 12 days after we booked it, but we were told we would have to wait 3 months rather than the standard 7 to 10 days.

 

A trip to the Baltic Sea

 

Last weekend we went on our first trip away since February. Destination: the Fischland-Darss peninsula on the Baltic Sea, one of our favourite weekend escapes. It’s a great place for walking, cycling and enjoying nature, due to the combination of long white beaches, sand dunes, green forests and lagoons. Hotels in Germany have been gradually reopening since the end of May. In the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where we went, hotels are restricted to 60% of capacity and staff are required to wear masks. It was difficult to find a room, as most places were fully booked, so we ended up paying more than usual. Still, after months of lockdown it was worth it. We could even enjoy a buffet breakfast at an allocated time slot. When we checked in to the hotel, unfortunately only 8 am or 10:45 am were available so we opted for the earlier time. It wasn’t a typical buffet, as we had to wait in turn at a distance for someone to serve us behind a plastic barrier and hand our plates over at the end. I’m sure people end up eating less when they have to ask for food rather than help themselves. Perhaps this buffet-style breakfast is here to stay. We enjoyed our first swim since the winter holidays; the indoor pool was open, but surprisingly quiet. There were plenty of people on the beach and a handful of very brave swimmers in the sea, naked naturally. In Eastern Germany nudism or FKK (Freikörperkultur) is very popular when swimming in lakes or in the sea, whatever the weather.

Life coming out of lockdown: week 13

When you’ve spent weeks or months indoors, the relaxation of the lockdown measures (Corona-Lockerung, as it’s called in Germany) generally feels like a positive development. However, it might take some time before you can relax and start to enjoy life again. On the one hand, you might be feeling worried about Covid-19, even if the number of infections has dropped. On the other hand, it might feel strange to be outdoors going about your daily life again. You might feel anxious or less confident about certain things, like taking public transport or meeting other people.  This is not surprising considering that for the past months we’ve been told to stay at home, not to meet anyone and to keep a distance from others.

 

Is it safe?

 

The question I often ask myself these days and I’ve been asked by several of my friends is - is it safe? Is it safe to send our children back to school? Is it safe to take the underground? Is it safe to meet friends? Is it safe to have a coffee in a café? Is it safe to go to a restaurant? Is it safe to travel by plane? Is it safe to go to the gym?

 

Small steps

 

If you are feeling worried and anxious, my advice would be to take small steps. You don’t have to do everything at once. Try one activity at a time and see how you feel about it. If you don’t feel safe or if you’re not comfortable with something, you don’t have to do it. In general, being outdoors is safer than being indoors. Try to avoid crowded places. Try to avoid stuffy places. If you have to travel by public transport, try to find a carriage that is not too full, preferably with an open window. Only meet people that you trust. Always carry hand sanitiser with you so that you can wash your hands. Always carry your own pen in case you have to sign a document or write down your contact details. Pay contactless if you can.  

 

Exercising with a group of people

 

This week I went back to my yoga/pilates studio for the first time since it closed in March. As everywhere else, there were strict hygiene rules. Class sizes have been halved so that we were spread around the room at a 3 m distance. I was asked to wear a face mask, but I was allowed to take it off while exercising. I was also asked to bring my own mat and drink and not to use the changing rooms, except for leaving my bag and jacket. Although I was really grateful for the digital lessons during the lockdown, I definitely prefer being in the same room as my teacher and exercising with a group of people.

 

Enjoying life outdoors

 

At the weekend, as the weather improved, I decided to test the open-air swimming pool with my family. I don’t think we’d ever seen Sommerbad Pankow so empty. There was plenty of space to lie on the grass and to swim in the pool. We bought our online tickets for the afternoon slot the day before. You need to purchase an online ticket in advance for all lidos in Berlin this summer. Once again there were strict hygiene rules to follow and certain areas, such as, the paddling pool, the slide and the indoor showers were closed. As there were so few people, it was much more relaxing and quieter than usual. Boosted by this positive experience, we decided to try out the lido (Waldbad) at Liepnitzsee, about 40 Km north of Berlin. Even that was surprisingly empty. The man at the entrance wondered whether people have no money left to spend on leisure activities (€10 for a family of three). We were asked to leave our contact details and were given a card to return when we left, so that they could count the number of bathers (300 is the maximum). If you don’t have the sea nearby, swimming in a lake surrounded by trees is the next best thing and the water isn’t even that cold at the moment.

 

Life coming out of lockdown: week 12

It turns out that I was wrong. Although the lockdown restrictions are being relaxed, it’s not over yet and it won’t be over – not for me and not for other parents in a similar situation – until school and/or nursery is back to normal, or at least five mornings a week.

Conversations with mothers

«I’m fed up... I’ve had enough... It’s too much... I can’t bear it anymore... I feel as if I’m going mad... I’m depressed... I hate home schooling... I can’t wait for the summer holidays to begin... I feel for parents like you: I’m so glad my son is 18!».

These are fragments of conversations I’ve had with other mothers this week. This is not a contest for who has had the worst time in lockdown, as I am aware that a lot of people have suffered for a number of different reasons, including loneliness. From the conversations I’ve had this week, it's clear though that the mental health of parents, and especially mothers, has been badly impacted by the lockdown. I know that this is true in my case.

Surviving lockdown without grandparents 

Initially it wasn’t all bad. Many of us even enjoyed having more time to spend with our children without facing the pressures and time constraints of everyday life. I certainly did. But after weeks of isolation, home schooling, tantrums and bad nights, the lockdown started to take its toll. Talking to other parents, it seems that the ones who have managed to cope relatively well through these difficult times are couples that have been able to share home schooling and childcare responsibilities, or those with nearby grandparents or other relatives. I was surprised ( and envious) to find out that several children in my son’s class have been studying with their grandparents during lockdown.

 

Enjoying a visit to the dentist

This week my son went to school on Thursday and Friday for a grand total of seven hours. In that time, I managed to squeeze in a pilates class (my pilates/yoga studio actually reopened on Tuesday, but I joined in via Zoom to save time), a visit to the dentist, which involved travelling by public transport for the first time since face masks became compulsory and an express visit to the beautician. I had two dental appointments this week, as I wasn’t able to go during lockdown. Usually having my teeth cleaned twice a year is an ordeal, but this time I almost enjoyed it. It was the first time in months that I had a whole hour to myself, without feeling any pressure to be productive, while my son and husband were at home together. The hygienist is a very nice lady and any form of live social interaction with a friendly human being is most welcome these days, even when their face is covered by a mask and shield and they are dressed like surgeons.       

 

Travelling by public transport

Surprisingly travelling by public transport was more relaxing than usual. The trams and S-Bahn trains were fairly empty, and it was easy to get a seat and keep a distance of 1.5 m from the other passengers. The announcement in English «Together against Corona» made me chuckle. Most people wore face masks or some sort of face cover, but there was one lady coughing without a mask, so everyone tried to keep a distance from her. It seems that Berliners would still rather avoid travelling by public transport, if possible. There certainly are a lot of bikes on the streets, but I’ve noticed that there are a lot of cars driving around as well. The air quality has definitely deteriorated.

 

Wearing a face mask and sunglasses indoors

I still haven’t got used to wearing a mask and on two occasions I have walked into a bakery wearing my face mask, while forgetting to take my sunglasses off. It happened in two different bakeries by the way. It took me a while to realise that it was darker than usual, as I was too focused on the sensations triggered by the mask, like warmth, difficulty breathing and hearing the muffled sound of my voice. It’s actually more challenging speaking a foreign language when you’re wearing a mask.

 

To close or not to close? The Tegel airport saga continues

 

In times of uncertainty like these, it’s reassuring to know that some things never change. A few weeks ago, it was announced that Tegel airport would be closing on 15 June, for two months, if not permanently. The closure of Tegel was supposed to happen eight years ago but was postponed due to significant problems with the new airport, called Berlin Brandenburg airport or BER, currently scheduled to open on Halloween this year. This week it turned out that Tegel won’t be closing in June after all. Now that air travel is picking up again, it seems that Tegel will be needed for a while longer. Despite the non-closure of Tegel, airlines have been cancelling flights out of the airport, including the one that we had booked less than two weeks ago. So now we have to find an alternative way to get to Sicily and visit the grandparents. Danke Lufthansa.