Today is the first day of the déconfinement. Déconfinement  is the French word used to describe the period after Corvid-19 lockdown. Do you know the English word equivalent for Déconfinement? Please drop me a text if you do. I was stumbled by my students when they asked me for the English word. After poring through various news articles relating to Corvid-19, it seems to me that the anglophones don’t have a word to describe the “unlocking” of lockdown.



Instead of a word to describe the event, déconfinement is often reported as “the easing of lockdown,” “the lifting of restrictions” or simply “after the lockdown.” For instance, the French would say something like “Le déconfinement commence au ll mai,” translated into “The déconfinement starts on the 11th of May.” In English, we would say,  “The easing of lockdown” or “The lifting of restrictions” starts from the 11th of May. The English version is too verbose. For the purpose of simplicity, I will borrow the French term in this post.



As I was saying, today is the first day of the déconfinement in France. If people were like me, they had to be anticipating eagerly, yet with reservations, for this day. Deep down, we were all thinking that something was bound to happen to push back the D-Day. Fortunately, our uneasiness was not founded, and the day has finally arrived without hiccups.



Is It Long Or Short - 55 Days?



Two months, 55 days, not too long, by many definitions, yet not short either, have just been wiped out from our lives. Yes, wipe out, or at least, that’s what many people may feel.



This rings true, especially for those who are fortunate not to have to battle on the frontline against Corvid-19 and have literally spent 55 days confined within four walls. A year from now, when everything returns to normal (or as normal as it can ever be), when you ask yourself what you did the year before, you would likely to say, with a grimace, “Nothing. I was in lockdown.” “Lockdown” will be the first thought that emerges in your mind. The very thought of lockdown reminds you of your vulnerability, the physical restrictions, a situation that was out of your control. That very thought submerges your memories of the activities you undertook during this period, the books you read, the quality time you spent with your family, the new routines you picked up. So, yes, you will likely feel that 55 days have been wiped out from your life.



Almost Normal



Déconfinement does not mean life will go back to “normal,” before the Corvid-19 lockdown. Certain restrictions remain, and these restrictions vary, based on the different regions in France. For Silviu and I, the déconfinement will not make significant differences to our daily lives. Since both of us are teaching at higher education institutions, and these campuses are closed until the next school year in September 2020, we would not have to commute to work. For me, I will continue my part-time online teaching until end June.



The main differences for us would be that we could exit our flat without having to fill out a form, we can run beyond the 1km radius of our home, cycle outdoors, and take day trips in our car but staying within a radius of 100km. Moreover, we have to wear masks in certain shops.



Since we will continue to stay at home most of the day, that means we might still be under the mercy of our upstairs neighbours. In the last episode,