From my window

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A photo and short story book based on everyday life during the Covid Pandemic.B2.2 students (EOI Murcia)

From my window

Preface: From my window

Every weekday during the lockdown I was really lucky to see all these faces "from my window": My students from the Official Language School.Engaged, committed, motivated students that turned our online classes into our private space to escape reality for a while. A space to connect with the outside world, to see other people´s faces, to share our feelings - and even to teach and learn English remotely.Thank you for your short stories and your images which are a great legacy and example of our daily lives during the Coronavirus pandemic.Thank you all for being such a motivation and inspiration to me during this academic year 2019-2020.Ana Fernández Torres

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Bizarre Times

It was just a small virus similar to the influenza, scientists said, but it changed our lives. These days I feel overwhelmed by the event, captive in my own home. In this bizarre situation feelings have been changing over the days. At first, I felt astonished at this unexpected situation, devastated by the number of sick citizens, and worried about my family. Then, step by step, like everyone, I have gotten used to this situation or condition. When I look through my window, the window of my golden cage, I can't see trees or beautiful landscapes, I can just see blocks of flats with people who, like me, are enduring the situation as well as possible. I see my neighbours through their windows busy with variant tasks, each other spending their hours in a different way. Sometimes I have the sensation I am looking at a big stage in which everyone plays a role that changes every day. Some days, the old lady in front of me is full of energy, dancing rhythmically with the music which she exercises with, other days in her balcony she is homesick, looking into the distance recalling perhaps the days in which everything was different. ThThe lonely old man on the third floor closes his blind after the applause every afternoon, probably fed up with the music that comes after. And so, one after another changes their mood day by day. Some days some of them delighted with the music, other days they upset me about it too or the clapping, sometimes a bit down, sometimes optimist. Anyway, we are still hopeful and “resisting”. Carmen M.

Prison Break

This photo was taken several hours ago from my kitchen window, although it looks as if it had been taken from a prison cell placed in a completely terrifying ghost city due to the fact that people had been issued to stay behind closed doors rather than outside to fight the spreading of coronavirus disease.In the foreground, we can see through the glass window some darkish steel bars which seem to be meant to remind us that we must stay indoors these days. However, in the centre of the photo, there’s a person walking down the street. It’s a woman who is wearing some casual winter clothes because it looks as if an awfully cold and rainy day was about to outbreak. It looks as though she is taking her lovely tiny white dog for a not-too-far-away walk. I’m not able to see her face and it’s even quite difficult trying to guess what she might be thinking about. Nevertheless, if I were in her shoes, I would probably be enjoying a huge sense of relief which is getting out and having some fresh air, pretending that everything is fine and that we’ll have been through this pretty soon.Between the left hand side of the photo and the background, we can see some beautifully well-built semi-detached houses which seem as if they were the ones and only witnesses of the scene.Luckily, in the distance, within some clouds, there’s a patch of an absolutely superb whitish blue sky in a dreadfully gloomy day that reminds me that every cloud has a silver lining.Miguel M.

A terrace with views

This is a picture taken the past week from my house’s terrace. It had been raining all night, therefore, the next morning was the best time to take charming photos because of the clean atmosphere.As you can see, in the foreground there are many buildings. It is half-past nine of a working day, so people must be at home, but only for the new demanding situation of the covid-19. Most of the picture is plenty of this kind of buildings, but in the front of the photo there is a striking small one with a grey roof: it’s an industrial warehouse for the civil MOPT. In the middle of the photo, we see a particular building. Its left wall is painted with a cutting-edge and trendy urban art, called “street art”. A bit confusing for me and specially for my little daughter Lucía, who normally tells me that it represents to “Our Lady”, but nothing more different than real: the picture has a sentence written at its bottom right-hand corner in big red and small grey letters that means “bon appettit”. I think this portrait is a mixture between a model of Classical Greece and a still life painting.Finally, in the background, near the right center we can see the huge tower from the Cathedral of Murcia. I miss the visits to this amazing monument, so I wish we would return to go for a walk and visit it again very soon.But, in my opinion, the very best of the photo is the sky: there aren’t enough words to describe it properly.Andrés M.

From my window

This photo was taken this evening from my window, I live outside the city in a quiet area. The days I feel cooped up I go to the terrace and just look outside, I look at my neighbour while he is working in his orchard. I envy him in a healthy way and, at the same time, it is very relaxing and entertaining. He collects the trees, waters the potato plants and feeds the chickens every day. Other days I just look at “ La cresta del Gallo” and as I have been there many times, I imagine myself there and I feel happy. I think it is going to be one of the first things that I will do once it is allowed to go outside, hopefully soon.I feel very lucky as my family and friends are safe and we have all the commodities to be comfortable at home but I am looking forward to coming back to normal life!!María S.

A beautiful garden

When I put my head out of the window I can see the garden of my neighbour's house. It is an astonished view. I feel peace and calm because it is very lonely and there isn't anyone, I only listen to the birds singing.In the centre of the photo, there is a swimming pool. I love the sea horse in the pool. It reminds me of when I was a child and I could see them in the Mar Menor.In the background, there are many types of trees in several tonalities of green.On my right, there is the largest and most beautiful tree. This kind of tree is called “ficus” and it gives a wonderful shade that you can appreciate in Summer. It should be spectacular to be under it.I hope that my neighbour invites me one day.Esther G.

Cape Dog Morning

Looking out of my living room’s window I can see my patio. The floor is paved with yellowish stone slabs with square patterns. The place is full of greenery: there are small and medium-sized potted plants all over the place, and to the right of the photo you can see a few branches from someone’s overgrown orange grove.In the foreground of the photo, there is a dog. Her fur is a white and black coat, with cow-like spots over the white patches. She's standing with a vacant look and a melancholy air. Perhaps she's bored and doesn't understand why she can't go out as often as before. The cloudy sky and dimming sunlight contribute to this impression. Behind her there is a red car. The vibrant colours of both plants and car balance out the grimness of the weather conditions.In the background, beyond the iron gates, you can barely appreciate the red-roofed house of my closest neighbour. Although I realise I’m very lucky to live in a house with a patio, looking at this picture makes me wish I lived closer to the city, where my family and I could gather in the balcony and interact with other people without leaving the house.Salvador S.

Magical Cartagena

I have taken this photo from my balcony. I have taken it today, 4 April 2020. When we moved to Cartagena last summer we were delighted by the views, but, maybe when you start the routine you don’t value what you have. Today, we are living an unexpected situation. Therefore, during these quarantine days I have realised the importance of this landscape. In the foreground, we see a green area where before the lockdown, kids and dogs played at the weekend. Behind, we can see the ARQUA museum, which holds many subaquatic treasures and history. In the middle distance, we observe the port of Cartagena. Many times a boat starts sailing and disappear over the horizon. In the background, we have the Mediterranean Sea, which is embraced by the mountains of Cartagena. I usually go to the balcony and breathe deeply, I can clearly hear the seagulls and other birds. I feel as if I could fly with them. I close my eyes and smell the sea breeze. It makes me feel really relaxed and grateful.I hope you can feel the same feelings I have tried to transmit to you.Paula H.

This photo was taken by my daughter last week at home.As you can see, it was a beautiful spring morning despite the clouds. In fact, as the weather had been very changeable lately, we had some showers in the evening.In the foreground, there are a row of orange, grapefruit and blossoming apple trees. You can imagine the smooth and sweet smell of them. Maybe, if you pay attention, you would hear the tweet of birds.In the middle of the photo, a woman is pushing a wheelchair with a girl along a cement path. It looks like they are going to cross a small wooden bridge. To their right, there is a banana tree, but it doesn't look fruitful. The girl has noticed that she is being photographed and she seems a bit upset, perhaps, she hates appearing in photos. The woman is dressed in sporty and summery clothes as if she was going to run, but I'm afraid she can't go out because of the pandemic.In any case, she'll get a great tan. On the right of the photo, we see a lovely, ancient and white cottage with bougainvillea on its walls.On the background, there are some palm trees and another old cottage with colourful clothes hanged to the sun.This photo is as a ray of hope in these moments and I wish all of us got back our freedom very soon.Rosa V.

Life in the time of coronavirus

A lonely school

This is the photo of a school, it looks like there's no one there at the time, maybe due to the tough quarantine that the country, unfortunately has been suffering lately and that makes people feel overwhelmed and absolutely horrified.In the foreground, we see a football and basketball court, the ground material feels like cement. Apart from that, it seems like it may have been raining because the floor is wet and there are small puddles of water, perhaps last night.In the background, we can see a terrace plenty of colorful benches, there might be the place where pupils used to sit during the school break while they had a delicious little lunch. Behind the terrace we can see the school building with its beautiful white and yellow facade. In my opinion, it may be that these colors express concepts as important for a child as are kindness, optimism and happiness. In the centre of the building we see the access, we can see two flowerpots of intense and bright colors, there may be plants that give off pleasant aromas.To it right and left there are huge trees, maybe cypresses, pine trees and ficus, it looks like as if you are at the countryside.Finally, this photo reminds me of my childhood at school, where despite few small incidents, I was always happy and cheerful enjoying the delights of youth. I wish I could see my classmates again in order to have a chat about how life is going them. Fco. Javier J.

What you do not see

Over the years, I suppose, I wouldn't have got used to reading, if I wouldn't have had a perceptive and of course creative grandpa like I had in my childhood. Speaking how incredibly fortunate I was would be one of those kinds of things like when in general people are enjoying something without any knowledge, but it does not matter, they are so happy. Although without doubt, it will be reflected on their face in such a way that one day, probably, they will have felt a little jealous about past times. There is no point to describe this photo, it is just showing us some small memories of past trips with several books and some paint notebooks. Although behind them all of us will be able to discover different faces with different landscapes on each book read. Actually, each one of them will have been read on a particular time and a particular environment. Anyway, it could be highlighted that it is accurately how I have felt so far writing and looking at this photo. Am I in a pickle? What about outdoor activities? Especially these days with the virus. I acknowledge that I have some contradictions, but if I had not had my own alternative world, would I have been able to escape from this unreal time? In a nutshell, the last thing I would rather do now is look at what is happening on the other side of balconies. In fact, I wish it had rained much more times lately... What I really wish right now would be painting in the middle of a snack, while my grandpa was reading a book with all those different kinds of characters, landscapes, or clocks...Pedro C.

Outside of my window

When I look outside of my window, I can see the mountain across the horizon, the beautiful green mountains of Murcia country covered in trees and grass. I can see the Fuensanta Sanctuary in the middle of the hill right across from my window, its bells are ringing every day at eight o´clock. I can see white clouds rolling by on clear days, and the sun setting behind the mountains in the afternoon.in the foreground I can see the buildings of my neighborhood, there is a big crane it looks as if it has been abandoned , to my right I can see another building in the opposite of the street and every day at eight o´clock the people who live there leave outside because it is time to clap for all sanitaries who are working at hospital because of crisis of the coronavirus crisis.These days I would prefer seeing the reality outside of my house instead of seeing it outside of my window, but we must stay at home…M. José L.

This is what I see from my living room window every day. In the foreground, I see some palm trees, which are almost the same height as the buildings that surround them. In a second plane, we can observe a small garden and similar buildings describing a square. No one is seen in this place and, in other times, it would make me feel calm and relaxed, but today, with the situation that we have, this view makes me feel a bit down. At least, we can see some clothes on the clotheslines, which helps me feel less lonely. Also, to the right and to the left, maroon facades and balconies color the picture. Looking out of this window, I wish I could go out and enjoy the sun resting on the bench in front of the garden. Cristina A.

The Caribbean in Murcia

Almost Lifeless

In this photo I can see a marvelous urban landscape. It seems to be a bright and sunny day.In the foreground, I glimpse a woman and a child at the top of a mustard building. It looks as if they were playing outside so as not to lose their physical condition, to kill time, or just because of the fact they need to take a breath in order not to feel locked up. I can imagine they are living it up because they fancy spending time together.In the middle of the photo, it is seen an empty park. I feel blue looking at this beautiful park, which is full of trees, banks and space to play, completely lonely and inanimate. I can´t get used to seeing it without any soul.In the background, there are more buildings and in the top right-corner I appreciate a stunning mountain. It would have been fantastic that I could have spent the whole day breathing fresh air at the peak of this mountain.The more I observe the photo, the more eager I feel to go out. The photo reminds me the lack of freedom in these days and makes me feel under the weather, absolutely devastated. In a nutshell, I wish I was a little bird for flying over these views. In fact, if going out hadn´t been prohibited, I would be having a wonderful time in that mountain with my friends.Andrea V.

Beauty despite the clouds

In this photo you can see what I see every day during this quarantine when I wake up each morning and open the blinds to let the sunshine enter in my living room. I can always see a small garden with different kind of trees, grass and some flowers. Despite of being quite cloudy in this photo, normally the sun brights strongly.In the background, there is another building similar to mine with different lively colours. They seem like being different buildings but the truth is they are the same. Before the quarantine, my neighbours used to go down to take their dogs for a walk dogs and talk to each other.In the centre of the photo, you can find a palm tree, which is protected by the Government as they are endangered, so that tree is extremely beloved by all the community. This view makes me feel absolutely pleasant and relaxed because there is enough daylight and normally interesting events happen out there! I am a big fan of spending time in front of the window for leisure.Lola G.

The groundhod day

For four weeks everything has seemed the same, when you look through the window. It seems like a famous Hollywood film.I think this is a daily photo, although none of the people who walk in front of the window could say it is a normal day because we are in quarantine for coronavirus (COVID-19).People look as if they have been in a fiction film, nothing is credible, nothing is normal. But we are humans and we have to adapt to this incredible situation.In the foreground I can see the iron grille, it is a good detail to remind me how we feel ourselves. This hard white structure feels like something forbidden. In the center of the photo, I see the outside of the street, now it is empty but every day people go to one side and to the other side, some of them are walking with their domestic dog, going shopping or taking out the trash.In the background, I see a view of buildings. Usually the balconies are empty, but suddenly at 20:00 all neighbors go out to clap in honor of sanitary workers. It is an emotional and pleasant moment.I wish this quarantine would finish as soon as possible but I wish much more that people wouldn't suffer from Coronavirus, Covid-19 for friends.Javier V.

Views from my balcony

The picture is taken through my balcony. The theme of the photo project focuses on my daily life in the time of coronavirus and what I see through my window.In the foreground, I see a variety of plants and their flower pots are certainly colorful. Behind flower pots there is a gnome holding a lantern. I notice that nobody is walking or staying in the street as the population is in quarantine in order to keep ourselves closer.In the center of the picture, I see two palm trees, and at their right there is a duplex construction.In front of the duplex, I see a municipal sports center which is used by a physical education teacher of a nearby primary school.My balcony allows me to analyse and verify what people do in these days so complicated for all of us.To conclude, the photo makes me feel grateful and surprised since most of my neighbours are complying with the confinement rules although there is someone who is disrespectful for not obeying the rules in quarantine time.Miriam S.

We will do it!

On this tiny and minimalistic picture you can see two of the things that have joined me during these hard days: In the foreground, you can see my lovely “Adam's rib”. It is near to the sofa (where I unfortunately spend a lot of time) and when I am watching the TV I unconsciously touch and caress it leafs. My wife usually looks at me as if I were insane! A lot of new leaves are growing lately and it is a little big cheeriness for us to notice it.In the background, there is a painted cardboard made by my neighbour's daughter. There are a lot of things you can see from my home's windows: part of the village, part of the countryside, some construction sites ready to be enjoyed by grandpas… but this has been definitely my favourite view during the last weeks. There is a rainbow between two clouds painted on it and it is so beautiful.“We will do it” can be read and if you make an effort you will read “Stay at home” too. Small big sentences we have listened to a lot recently which will help us to overcome this awful situation.J. Antonio T.

Spring in Murcia

That is the typical image from "La Huerta-de-Murcia". In the foreground, we can see a lot of lemon trees and some palm trees, currently the lemon trees are greenish with new shoots and lemon's blossom with bees working. In the background are seen some houses and the cloudy sky. That is a springly landscape, even the previous night it rained a little. It is not only the image, but also other senses, scents and sounds: It smells like spring with the "azahar" and I can hear a lot of birds singing in peace and quiet without being afraid of human activity. I can recognize some sparrows and turtle doves.This photo makes me feel calm and relaxed due to the fact that it takes me away from stress, problems and worries.Pedro R.

My views

This picture was taken last week from my bedroom. I live in a small village of Murcia, it is called Javali Nuevo. As you can see I live around lemon trees and my neighborhood is very peaceful. In spring I can hear the birds and smell the azahar from the trees. In the background I can see Alcantarilla, it is a big village very near to my house. In this quarantine I feel very grateful for living in a detached house and having a patio because I can do some sports outside and get a tan, although lately it has been raining a lot but I miss so much to walk near the river and go out with my friends.I have worked in my house every day since the state of alarm and for me it makes me feel well because I don´t think about Coronavirus all the time but at weekends I don't know what to do and I feel very anxious and bored. For this reason, I have to spend time reading, studying or watching TV. I hope this situation will be over as soon as possible because this is turning into a nightmare. Carmen G.

A view from my window

Early in the morning, sitting in front of the window with my hot cup of coffee between my hands I look at the landscape and I can appreciate the immensity of the mountains and I wish I was there like when I took this photo, I remember well when it was, a clear and sunny day of October, a perfect day for hiking in the mountain.At the top and around the lake, a green grassland; in the centre the crystalline waters or Lake Gentau the bigger lake of D’Ayous Lakes. On the right and the left, there are some paths to walk around the lakeIn the background, on the right, the incredible, unbelievable, recognizable, singular form of Midi-D’ossau Peak a famous mountain in western France Pyrenees.There is also a mountains chain and all covered by a beautiful, soft and cloudy blue sky.This is all I need to start a new good lockdown day.Agustín G.

Into the wild: Living in the orchard of Murcia

The pictures show the incredible views from my living room, the place where I spend most time these days. As you can appreciate, there is a garden plenty of trees beside my house. In the foreground I can see my little cactus and in the middle distance my cute cat Mika, which is sitting on the window sill and looks totally concentrated staring at the birds that are standing on the branches of the trees. In the background, the neighbouring houses peek out over the treetops.Every morning I wake up, I breath fresh air and feel absolutely grateful for living in this little paradise. Notwithstanding, I wish I could gather with my relatives and friends because I really miss them.Sonia T.

My lovely village

This photo was taken by me this morning. It represents my village. This region is near Murcia and you can enjoy with its natural places.In the foreground, we see some green fields that make me feel relaxed since this colour breeds hope. And this feeling is vital in my life, overall, in this exceptional moment. In the centre of the photo, there is a road where people normally cross, specially, children so the school is on the left to this picture. And behind there are some particular houses. On the right we see a quite new building with an enormous terrace. Last but not least, at the top we see a spectacular sky; this feels more space because it is the most important element to me. It represents freedom and I need to feel better little by little and this picture helps me to achieve it.In my opinion, this picture and other ones inspire confidence and I hope that we will enjoy these incredible places very soon.Rebeca M.

Blue horizon

I took this photo from the terrace of my parents´s house in Cartagena last week. In the afternoon, I usually go upstairs and enjoy the blue horizon, the frame of the roof of buildings. Many times, these quarantine days, I hear as if birds was singing in my ear while I watch the blue sea. It's astonishing to see elderly people walking alone the top of their houses or children running without realizing the confinement.Theses images make me feel well in spite of the news, people keep calm when they are in my picture, they remain just still in my retines until the claps break the silence at eight o´clock.At the end of the photo, I can see two hills, the same hills that have protected Cartago during centuries from sieges; the same hills than I was used to climb, when nobody could imagine this scenery. I hope this tragedy will end up very soon, meanwhile I will stay at home, take care of my parents and climb ten flats looking for the peace of my views of my rooftop.Sonia M.

We will be back!

This photo was taken yesterday, the 7th of April of 2020, at half-past seven. It was taken from my study room, in Murcia. Normally, there is a lot of traffic and there is a lot of noise in this roundabout because it is one of the main entrances to the city center in its northern area. In this area, we can find the neighborhoods of San Basilio, San Anton and Santa Maria de Gracia. The pedestrian hustle and bustle along the sidewalks is often costly because there are numerous shops and supermarkets. Just below my building there is a park with palm trees and other trees.If you cross the roundabout, you can see the Escuela de Idiomas building, the place where we usually see each other every Tuesday.Now there is no traffic, only some police controls to ensure the Alarm State and prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.I feel good right now because I leave my home every day to go to work, but my wife and children have not left since March 13, they are sad and sometimes upset. I wish it would end as soon as possible so that everything returns to normal and we can see each other again.J. María L.

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25 short stories and images that will hook you immediately - even from the very first sentence. Created by B2.2 level students (EOI Murcia).

CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 ESg

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