At the moment, there are 3,522,593 cases of coronavirus as per John Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center. It is 4 May 2020, 1:46 PM. Deaths: 247,744 Recovered: 7,053,366
These figures may not be that accurate because there is a possibility that there are many people who died to COVID-19 who did not undergo the normal tests and medical treatment, particularly in areas where access to healthcare services poses a big challenge. But the whole world relies on these numbers to know what is going on particularly in their countries of origin and/of residence.
How are we adapting to the 'new normal'? Never in my life have I seen this kind of real pandemic paralyzing almost all people. I was used to working from home for many years of my life, particularly when I suffered from a severe calf strain and I could hardly walk (somehow I managed to walk after two years) but thanks God my brains and fingers did their part well during my crippled days.
In the lockdown period, people do their work from home. Even when the government eases this lockdown thing, there is a limited number based on the percentage of staff allowed in the office and social distancing of 2 meters away from each other must be observed so it means 70% of their workforce are on StayHome mode, except in essential business categories. In our flat (shared residential space), there is a call center agent, an insurance claims process assistant, two insurance specialists, an HR officer, etc. There is life every day as you see them doing their office jobs at home, cook and eat a lot, play card games in the balcony, sing with their gadget apps, and just enjoy being at home. I know many of them who used to have a life outside find it difficult to keep themselves sane by just staying within the four corners of the flat. It's good to hear normal noises in an abnormal situation. I remember my one way of coping up with a deafening silence and scorching heat when the airconditioner was out-of-order, was playing a Youtube video clip on sounds of rains and thunderstorms.
It is as if God prepared my mind like when He ordered Noah to build the ark before the great storm. I am emotionally and spiritually prepared for it. The preparation was not just for days or months but years. I humbly pray I can endure more and hold on to my resilience and faith.
I love sewing (as I was raised by a dressmaker) so I hand-stitched my face masks from used clothes, fit to my face, and I wear them always. Pity I could not use my Singer Simple (model) sewing machine; perhaps I could sew hundreds more. In my FB group of sewing machine lovers, I continuously share stories of people who sew face masks for the communities to inspire other sewing enthusiasts. I also post different tips and patterns in making different face masks. May God give me miracles so I can donate some sewing machines to people who need them for livelihood and sharing their skills, creativity and time for the good of humanity.
Here I observe social distancing. I am on the 'self-isolation' mode to be safe. There are times when I am invited to the kitchen to join the celebration of a flatmate's birthday but I stay there quickly and eat the foods in my room. I read a lot of news and articles about my areas of interests, author my book, write/edit correspondences, design digital marketing ads, check the website I maintain, join webinars related to life skills, and other things which others may find boring or do not interest them at all. One thing I know -- their fun to keep sane is important for mental health, and my inner joy to keep going in a more meaningful way while safeguarding my sanity, both matter.
There is no business so it is very tough but I just keep going, doing what I can to be productive. I see many posts of many friends who own and manage businesses, very desperately expressing what they feel, hopeless; but there are many others who extend moral support to keep the fighting spirit burning. Those who have not experienced this kind of trial will now understand how to be at the rock bottom with nothing but a giant leap of faith.
Our government announced that there would be relief goods and/or allowances to be released here in the country of our present residence, but there are some documents required. It takes time to screen the applicants and approve the applications. Those who have lost their jobs with some visa issues are on limbo, even if in the past their money remittances contributed in part to the Philippine economy by US$33.5B in 2019. (This is life. Sighs.)
There are some organizations who also give relief goods and they collaborate with charitable organizations. I know some friends who do their part without asking documents and all, sharing their blessings silently. I have a friend in Abu Dhabi who buys goods and just asks his friends who need relief items, and if they are nearby he just drops them to their doorsteps. My friend in Dubai got her basket of blessings from a religious group as her flatmate registered her name and number only. I was touched by my niece's regular 'how-are-you' messages, and some blessings shared with me prior to lockdown. Last night, a dear friend remembered me and dropped some essentials at our doorstep to my surprise. These all, big or small gestures of kindness and compassion, remind me that we are in it together. I wish I were rich so I could help feed many people. Even in real wars, the soldiers may lose the fight without foods to nourish their minds and bodies. And this is a horrible war because we do not see the deadly enemy when it attacks us.
In my good old days when my earnings were good, I would not wait for a day after I got my salary or commissions to send support to my family, with the right breakdowns of expenses, to ensure that all of them would eat on time. (No need to wait when the currency exchange rate would get better.) I know how it is to be very hungry.
For how long will this pandemic affect us all? It will take 18 months to come up with a vaccine and maybe another two (2) years for more tests in the market, so it will be 2022 - 2024. When I watched Mark Zuckerberg and wife Dr Priscilla interviewing Dr. Bonnie Maldonado, a 'vaccine expert at Stanford Medicine who is working on broad serology study (-7:50), I heard it would be another 10 years but they are hopeful that with the combined efforts of scientists in the world, there would be some early developments.
So it's all about adapting to the new world, the new normal. We cannot dream of life to be back to pre-coronavirus days. Deep inside, I pity today's children, and I strongly wish I had a farm in the countryside where my grandchildren can freely play and commune with nature.
Back to HereAndNow, there are many relief items being distributed by good samaritans including some companies paying back to the country. There is this campaign under His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai -- 10 million meals. It is the "nation's biggest community campaign to provide meals or food parcels to support vulnerable individuals and families in collaboration with the Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19" as it is shown on its website. Praise God for the leaders and teams behind for the good deeds in the holy month of Ramadan! God bless their souls as this campaign means a lot to many hungry people in very stormy days.
I am thinking that the local restaurants and dining businesses should be given opportunities by the donors/sponsors to prepare those meals to help them and their employees stay afloat, and they can also serve as distribution points or channels to give back to their loyal customers and other residents nearby who are hit by the pandemic.
The challenge is how to save businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises. They employ people who spend on consumer goods and services and help the economy going.
The sources of relief goods/allowances are government funds and donations, but if there is economic collapse or recession, they will also find it hard to sustain the needs of residents. Combatting the COVID-19 requires a huge funding.
We must adapt to the new normal, find a way to be productive wherever we are, crowdsource ideas that will match our talents, skills and time with available resources/platforms, seek help if needed, and support others if there is a way even if we have our own individual challenges.
We must not hate the government if the borders are closed for safety reasons while at the height of this pandemic. Managing our emotions is much easier than what the brave medical frontliners do, risking their lives handling many COVID-19 patients, and keeping themselves calm for all the pains and deaths they see themselves day after day. Managing our emotions is much easier than directly experiencing the ordeal of every coronavirus patient.
We all have own individual and collective issues. It is like a maze -- how to find the way out of these all. It is confusing as uncertainties are. Let us not get confused with the preparation needed for a more challenging situation. Be minimalist, organize important documents, keep in touch with the family, and survive.
To survive one day at a time, which must be the main focus, we must explore opportunities to exchange time and talents for value. Here to work you must find gainful employment and must be with a proper residence visa. If your company tells you to go on leave unpaid, and you have no source to pay your bills, rent, and all, it is very difficult more so if you are alone and there is no support system in the family. You can find another job but you also need to seek the right permit for a temporary job. If you are terminated, you can apply for a tourist visa, good for three (3) months, and must find a way to survive from your own savings and/or help of family members and friends while looking for job opportunities. Gulf News publishes some highly in-demand jobs in the UAE during the pandemic. We cannot just go fly back home as flights are canceled.
I hope they will make it much, much easier for businesses to resurrect and renew their trade licenses (even those in the past years), with a substantial reduction in related expenses, perhaps, a subsidized virtual office for those that do not require an office space. With the massive activation of trade licenses comes hope for many people to get the much-needed residence visas and be protected while they do their part to be productive members of the society, with legal status. For sure, those businesses will serve as paths to somewhere common great for all, like the rivers and streams that all go to sea -- as they will evolve attuned to the calls of the present times.
All of us want to live dignified lives and we do not want to be a burden to the government and society. As caring members of our families, we want to provide for their needs. Many Filipinos want to work even beyond retirement age, and we are everywhere. Worldwide, the majority of those in the healthcare industry are overseas Filipino workers because it is in the culture and veins of kabayans -- a caring attitude particularly in a period of calamity and disasters. (See how English broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality Piers Morgan thanks and praises Filipino nurses serving the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. >> )
Dave Gahan said,
Certain songs like 'Enjoy the Silence' -- to me, it always fits anywhere. There's something about that song that's really timeless, and I never get bored or feel like I have to muster something up.
Mmm, if there's anything I must passionately muster again and again and again, it's my remaining strength and courage to face all adversities while adapting to the new normal, no matter what.
God, help me, help all of us, to hang on to our hope. May we heal as one.
---
---
Photo credits: Pixabay | pasja1000
Comments
Post a Comment