Dreaming of Brighter Days Following COVID-19
Simon | European Director of HR | Paris, France
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
1) My daughters, especially my one year old Oona. She is very fat, active, happy, expressive, and just a generally good little person to have around spreading positive vibes. It’s like living with a real live gummy bear.
2) Setting personal exercise goals. For example, in number of steps equivalent, I have climbed the Eiffel Tower five times in the first three weeks of quarantine, I am crushing the jump rope, and 200 push-ups is no longer a challenge.
3) Alcohol. - What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
Ride my motorcycle very fast and very far.
Mirella | City Manager | Milan, Italy
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
Family, Books, Yoga - What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
Visit my parents.
Kelsey | Customer Service Manager | Paris, France
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
1) My family
2) Baking and cooking
3) Good TV - What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
Hug everyone I know at a giant picnic at the tower
Sadie | Director of Project Management | Paris, France
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
1) A daily, 1-hour walk.
2) Longer, more complicated recipes than I would normally do.
3) Trying new wines. - What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
See all of my friends in the park on a sunny day and catch up without microphone lag.
Dan H | General Manager | Munich, Germany
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
1) Cheating at the lockdown. I’m not always the best rule follower at the best of times, but being ordered, by law, to stay at home and watch television is just much-too-much for me to take. I’m getting a lot of jogging and hiking done, I really can’t help but follow every river also. There’s no parties with dozens of people happening, but a solid day out on a long hike is enough to keep me at home in front of the television, at least a little.
2) Sturdy Bavarian breakfasts. The traditional breakfast here in southern Germany is a pot full of white sausages, a pretzel and a big glass of wheat beer. I’m skipping the beer, because drinking beers for breakfast is a downward spiral that nobody needs right now, but white sausages and a pretzel are just the perfect start to the day. When eating white sausages, remember that you need to peel them first, as is tradition. Only a barbarian would eat the skin of a white sausage. And their only permitted accompaniment is sweet mustard. Dare to put hot mustard anywhere near a Bavarian white sausage and the authorities will have a bigger problem with you there than with your constantly cheating at quarantine.
3) Home projects and things I’ve not had time for in the longest while. With Spring here I’ve gotten started again with my house plants and they all seem happy (a small palm called Fiona and a fern called Wandsworth). I’d like at least one more plant, maybe a cactus, but I’m a bit worried about how Wandsworth is going to feel about suddenly being the middle child. He’s a bit sensitive, even for a fern. Aside from my green-thumb, I’m also brewing ginger beer, which is a fun project since the fermentation process involves creating something organic and alive from just sugar, ginger and water. Projects are also best when they result in tasty and healthy beverages, which is the case with ginger beer brewing. - What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
With the warmer weather here and the outdoors being so inviting, I’m desperately missing Munich’s beer gardens. I’m not alone in this (I’ve asked around so I’m speaking here with authority) and the first thing that the locals all want to do is get to a beer garden, sit down with a Maß (the traditional litre mug of beer) and enjoy the sunshine with beer and friends under the chestnut trees. All good beer gardens have chestnut trees, its kind of a thing. The number one beer garden that I want to get to is the Waldbiergarten Mariabrunn (“forest beer garden of St Mary’s spring”). It’s a nice forest hike to get there and they’re famous for having the coldest beers and crispiest roast chicken.
Liam | General Manager | Florence, Italy
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
1) Cooking. I’ve always been enthusiastic about experimenting with and perfecting tasty things but during lockdown I’ve cranked up the kitchen hours. The door is closed, podcasts are on and I’m in my own world with access to all the wine.
2) Music.
3) Mario Kart. I’m Baby Mario and my oldest, Alfred is Diddy Kong. We play every evening for 30 mins. He knows all the tricks and shortcuts but I think the lack of sport in my life (to play and watch) fuels an intensity that keeps me competitive. - What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
Get the whole family on our bikes (with dog in trailer) and head into nature for a hike, a swim and a picnic.
Jess | General Manager | Paris, France
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
1) Online games and trivia nights with friends
2) Daily challenges such as attempting to cook in my tiny apartment with no skills and one pan
3) Reading in the sun which comes through my windows mid-morning - What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
Have a picnic by the river in the sun with my mates.
Jamie | General Manager | London, United Kingdom
- What three things are helping you get through this lockdown?
1) Books. I think I’ve read more in the last month than ever before2) Being lucky enough to have a small garden to sit in. After 10 years of working with FTT I’m not used to being inside for too long!
3) Knowing that we are all in this together.
- What is the first thing you’d love to do when this is safely over?
Go and sit in a pub on the Southbank, have a pint and watch The River Thames sliding by.
