Sunday, February 14, 2021

Almost Normal

After an early morning exchange of slushy cards Noi and I took ourselves down to West Coast Park for a bit of a walk. Observing the folks there - and a fair number of pooches - it struck me that, apart from the fact that all were wearing masks, except those running and cycling, it could have been any day at any time in the last couple of decades. The sense of business as usual, the ordinary routine, nothing special at all, was striking - and very welcome. I noticed quite a number of tents indicating people staying overnight and a few of the barbecue pits now open for action, a sign of the authorities loosening up somewhat on restrictions.

Of course, this could all go pear-shaped, as it has in a few nations who seemed to have got a handle on the pandemic. But so far the signs seem good, and if the holiday passes without any increase in the numbers of those infected it will be cause for muted, watchful, celebration. We may even be granted some form of recognisable Raya.

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