I look out on the last but one day of my 14 days of isolation and see friends walking around the park, chatting away but a metre-and-a-half apart - and it lifts the spirit.
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It's hard being on your own in what feels like a capsule but to see people behaving well lightens the gloom.
And on Day 14, I shall participate in an online Anglican service - and go to the supermarket, keeping well away from human beings.
It will be like Rip van Winkle, the man who fell asleep for 20 years and then suddenly woke up.
So much has changed in a fortnight. I landed in Canberra from Britain the Sunday before last and went straight into seclusion. There were infected people on the flight.
When I went into the capsule, touching elbows instead of shaking hands was a bit of a joke. Now, there are few jokes as the virus rises exponentially.
In my old world, I imagined I might see my British partner in two months. Now, who knows? Six months? A year? Will I make my niece's wedding in October?
Two weeks ago, the plague seemed far away. Now, it's in our midst and it ain't going any time soon.
The best estimate in Australia is to have it under control in three months if we are ultra-strict about avoiding people, but not eradicated elsewhere so travel will remain blocked.
I do yearn for human contact - but isolation means I'm much better read, especially of very dry publications like "The Journal of Applied Psychology" where I learn that, contrary to the popular view, we actually tend to behave well in disasters.
The researchers questioned police and other emergency workers. "Almost all agreed that emergency crowds are cooperative, exhibit heroism, and use knowledge when they evacuate," is one revelation. "They rejected the view that mass emergencies lead to selfishness."
We may not be as bad as social media and the sensationalist press make out.
More good news: the toilet paper I bought online has been dispatched from China.
See you some time.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
