Eva nearly got trapped in Brussels in the midst of lockdowns and restrictions on air travel happening across Europe. Now, back in Madrid, she tells us what it’s like to be living in Spain under lockdown, while working remotely and collaborating with freelancers from all over the world.
Originally from Galicia (northern Spain), Eva A. Movilla has been living in Madrid for four years. Before then she lived in Belgium and the UK. Now she’s head of Human Resources at VeraContent, a translation and localization agency, and a teacher at a Business School.
What was your life like a week ago vs. today?
One week ago I was getting on a plane to Brussels. My husband is from there and I lived in the country for 6 years some time ago, so I like to organize a trip every now and then to meet up with family and friends from the old days.
It’s incredible how everything changed so quickly. All our plans got cancelled as Belgium is undergoing quite a lockdown itself, we couldn’t meet with anyone (not even close family), so we decided to move our tickets to this Sunday. When we landed, believe me, it was a completely different image from the one just 5 days before. The plane was half empty, the airport looked like a ghost town, and the few people we encountered were heavily protected with masks, gloves, and some even with sunglasses and caps!
At the company where I work, VeraContent, we’re masters of remote work, so in that sense it hasn’t changed that much. I do miss the personal connection we have on office days – Tuesdays and Thursdays – and how we always have a good laugh over lunch or having drinks after work. But in the strictly professional aspect I don’t really think we have undergone any major disruption due to coronavirus restrictions. I have noticed that freelancers and applicants are more responsive now, probably because they’re all at home, glued to their phones and laptops at the moment.
Besides working as the head of HR at VeraContent, I also teach a class on teamwork & collaboration for a Business School and it has to be taught remotely now. Of course, it’s not easy to keep students engaged over a hangouts call, but I enjoy the challenge! Funnily enough last week’s class was on how to collaborate remotely with teams located all over the world.
What does the street look like?
We live in a residential area of Alcorcón (a neighborhood in the outskirts of Madrid), always packed with families and children. The streets are pretty quiet and all the parks have been closed. You see some people wearing masks while running errands. Police cars are often patrolling asking people to go home through the loudspeaker. It does look quite apocalyptic, to be honest!
Have you noticed any random acts of kindness or uplifting things recently?
It was a super emotional moment when people came out on their balconies and started clapping and shouting to pay homage to all health employees. It lasted for quite a while and you could really feel all that human energy. It was truly moving.
How are you coping?
I’m very much used to working from home so it doesn’t really have a huge impact so far. Of course it’s only been a few days… let’s talk in a week.
What’s the first thing you’ll do once this lockdown is over ?
Go for a veggie miso at Ramen Kagura and have a vermouth on a terraza in the sun!
If you could tell the government one thing right now, what would it be?
I would urge the government and all political parties to put politics aside and focus on the common good.
See all Madrid Lockdown Diaries here
If you’d like to submit your story, please send an email to daphne@veracontent.com
