11 days and counting…

Each day is a bit tougher. And I keep saying to myself that a lot of people have it lot worse than I do! I just can’t imagine how awful it would be to be stuck in a high rise in New York, or more topically, in one of the townships around the cities in this country. And I’m appreciating that I am “retired” and don’t have to battle for a job to put food on the table, as so many of the people here have to do.

Yes, it’s miserable being stuck here, with no idea when any flights will be operating out of here. And even when they do, will the US be open? So there is no way to plan anything at all and for me, the uncertainty is the worst of all of this. I’m booked to do a house sit in Ecuador at the end of the year, but heaven knows whether I can get there! And that country has huge problems with the virus now, sounds way worse than here where the problems are “relatively” under control.

Although I am afraid the issues here won’t be so much the people becoming ill, but the fact that they are hungry and already stores are being vandalized and looted. Because so many of the people are in the informal employment sector, they have lost their jobs. What started with the liquor stores being broken in to (there is a complete liquor ban here) has spread to the food stores. The government is trying to sort out food packages for people, but it’s not just the townships that need the supplies. Way out in the bush, volunteer private pilots, in their own planes, are taking food donations out and I have to assume these are real bush pilots as there are no runways, so they are probably landing on dirt roads.

I think it’s like so many countries, the infrastructure, the technology is not up to standard so the systems are all overwhelmed with the deluge of needs from all sectors. And South Africa has to pull itself out of the corruption that has run rampant for years under the old president.

The current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, could certainly teach Trump a few lessons on diplomacy and how to conduct himself. (Actually, a LOT more than a few.) He faces an uphill battle with the corruption and “old guard” still active in the government. But still, he is doing a good job and we can only hope the rest of them get their s**t together and get things done - in a hurry.

A New World

So we wonder what our world will be like when we are “released.” So much will be different, our whole way of life will be changed. I know there will be a lot of changes for the better, as people and governments are forced to act and react more positively, with funds appearing for much needed programs and upgrades to antiquated systems. We can also hope that the clown in the White House is removed at the end of the year.

And I wonder where I will end up…again! Initially, well, at the end of May, I will go to Mick and Debbie’s and from there, when I can get a flight out, head back to first, California, then drive up to Washington, where I’ll hang out with Mardelle and Jim, in “my” apartment at their house.

After that, who knows?