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L.Rai |
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Sunday, July 20, 2014 |
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Thursday, June 4, 2020 12:37:54 AM |
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Okay, maybe it's just me but what is the point of social media? Many of us survived for many years without any of this stuff. Some of us will even be able to live the rest of our lives never once being a part of it. I personally fail to see why anyone bothers with it...Imagine how much better things would be if we could all just go on a social media diet.
Should Twitter ban Trump? Maybe we should all ban social media and learn to really be social again. Just my two cents.
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Ashwin Vemuri wrote:The Shut Down should be considered an early long summer vacation and our lifetime's only forced vacation with no commitments whatsoever from work and/or business. Take it positively and it doesn't cost much to spend time with family and stay home doing stuff that was not possible due to busy schedules. Tingle your hobbies and read some books, sharpen your language skills, and tone down your weight to reach the correct BMI. This is Purely My Opinion and is not intended to influence anyone. I am penning my current situation.....
BRAVO, AND THANKS...I AM IN CHINA AND WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS THE LONGEST AND TO BE HONEST I AM REALLY VERY TIRED NOW OF ALL THE DEBATES AND ARGUMENTS. THANKS FOR A NICER PERSPECTIVE.
We have to live with what this is and how we individually deal with it will matter. Case in point, just 2 weeks ago we had May Day here in China and people traveled inside of China. In our Province (Jilin) we suffered a set-back. We had been virus free and as of today we have 23 new cases, all can be traced back to May 1st, and 11 of the cases were in a single family. The small town of Shulan is where this outbreak happened. Facts, the family infected came from one woman in that family. No one knows where she got it because she had not traveled anywhere, they are still trying to figure it out. The rest of the cases have been contained so far to Jilin city and Shulan...both are now in full lock-down and quarantine. Anyone who traveled to those areas are in quarantine again. This makes the 3rd resurgence of this bug in the last 3 months.
Feb 1st our province went into a month of lock-down and by March 16 we were virus free...then the 2nd wave hit on March 26, then April 25th we were virus free again and now May 5 the 3rd wave hit. When the 2nd wave hit it was due to Chinese people who returned from Russia...this time we have no idea. There is no way to know when this will hit, but unlike some people around the world no one here can complain when we are shut down again and so we live with it.
My company has been shut down since Feb. 1st. We are NOT allowed to open until the government tells us we can. We have been without income for 100 days and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. It's been a long "vacation" without pay but now we are all ready to get back to work. No one here wants anymore time off...we'd all like to get back, but at what cost?
The high schools are back now, 12th grade went back first and one month later 10th and 11th joined them. 9th grade returned but 7th and 8th are still not allowed. 1-6th no one is sure, and Kindergarten...some say maybe Sept. Our school can't open until the Kindergarten kids return to public school so we could be without work in a real classroom for 3 more months. We are teaching on-line but if you are a teacher of K-12 you will surely agree it's not the best option. We can do that but we have ONLY been allowed to charge parents tuition for teaching on-line since May 1st. That meant for 3 months we had no income. It's been difficult to say the least.
Kids do get sick and several have died, some have died due to complications after they got better. Others will have long term health issues. While many are just fine, no one can be sure who will be fine and who won't. I am fine with an enemy I can see, but how do you fight something that you can't see? I feel like I am rambling...but I am just sick to death of this discourse with some people feeling they should push their rights because they can. Maybe if we all just tried to pull together in this and adopt a policy whereby everyone can agree to the rules, just maybe that would work and we could then get on with our lives. However, from my vantage letting people do whatever they like has not helped, and in my Province it has produced a 3rd round of this bug. Do I like being locked down, hell no, but do I want to suffer the consequence of just letting it "run it's course" not an option, Wuhan should have taught us that lesson, oh and Italy, NYC, and the list goes on. Maybe if we all can just see a bigger picture here, we might all benefit.
Just my two cents from Jilin Province China.
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could you post the winners for this latest contest...just curious. I won 3rd place but who took 1st and 2nd???
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Dear Marek:
The only one I can remember is "Not my circus, not my monkeys" meaning the problem isn't your concern. I use it a lot with my teachers that I manage. I use a lot of idioms when teaching English, and I was actually very surprised to win anything...LOL
I was doing a great streak until a personal loss happened and that changed everything so for a while I wasn't on the site. However when I returned I was able to keep the streak going. It's hard when I travel so right now being stuck at home being on TFD is at least something to pass the time.
Good for you that you have kept your streak going, I try to get my students to do at least 15 minutes on this site each day to build their vocab, it's good for doing that.
Dear DragOnspeaker..
Thanks for the well wishes. Hitting 1000 was a milestone at least for me. Now to see if I can hit 2000...or 1.6 million neurons...LOL I'd really like the toaster and could use it now that I am having to cook at home...LOL Do you think 1.6 will get me the toaster? LOL 
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I have been a member of TFD since July 2014, but I never could keep a streak going. Life would get in the way but today I have managed 1000 days without missing a beat. Not earth shattering to be honest but given our current world situation this was a nice milestone to break up the other stuff going on.
I took 3rd place in the idiom contest and 1000 days...there is a silver-lining to life...LOL
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Hope:
I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Stop reading for now. Nothing will change quickly and the news will only be bad. Take a break. It's best to shut down and read a good book. Getting upset is not healthy for you. This is not going away soon, and people need to embrace that fact and just push on. We can get through it but we need to work together.
Landmark today, the US has surpassed China, yippee for us, (tongue firmly embedded in cheek) I never wanted to see anyone win this race...it's best to come in last on this one.
Take care all and try to stay safe and well.
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Oscar:
Nice to know...thanks and I hope you stay safe.
Update from this morning, the province where I live has just reported 2 new cases. We had been virus free for the last 30 days but yesterday we had one case reported and now today our second.
No one knows what this means yet, other than it's back. Time will tell and now all we can do is wait and see.
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To be fair, and Hope you are right, it's not just the US who didn't take action quick enough. The President and many others around the world had the lesson from China and should have heeded it. China bought the world time and yet no one was willing to learn. Governments around the world then tried, but people around the world did stupid things.
So Oscar, are you saying you would have been willing to have our President LOCK-DOWN the entire country weeks ago and force people to stay home and do what China did??? Do you think anyone would have listened???
It's time we stop blaming the government for what citizens didn't do. Young people who flaunted the order to not gather, others who find it funny to cough on people or food, people who are still in denial...and the list goes on.
I find it ironic, I came back to China on Feb 6th, and people back home kept telling me I was insane. I felt fine with the decision I had made because at that time if I was to catch it I'd rather be in a place that was more equipped to deal with it, not in the US where we had maybe 6 cases in total and people still had no clue.
I went into a mandatory quarantine, and YES they put a camera outside my front door to make sure I didn't break the rules. I stayed home and wasn't even allowed to open my front door, throw out my trash or buy food. I managed. Then after the 14 days I only went out to buy food and came right back to my apartment. I have been under lock-down protocol for 7 weeks, and only this week have I started to venture out again.
We have been virus free since March 9th where I live, totally clear until yesterday when one case was reported in my city. The virus came back here via a US student (just a coincidence in my opinion and not a statement on our country) That person was caught at the airport taken to a government hotel where they will be isolated and treated. As of now that is the only known case in my province and time will tell.
Are we all scared of this thing coming back...you bet. The people in China learned the hard way to take this threat seriously, they have paid a high price and they are showing the rest of the world what it will take to fight it. Now I hope the rest of the world is ready to learn and take the actions needed to attempt to quell this pandemic.
This is not going away soon. It will take time. We are learning that this may have begun as early as mid-December. I do remember reading something about a new "flu" at the end of December. Things began to happen by Jan. 7th, and then Jan. 20, China locked-down Wuhan and the surrounding areas. Waiting that long gave this virus a head-start. The world saw it, yet when the virus broke out of China the world didn't heed the message.
I can understand people get panicked and others go into denial, but when faced with facts it's time to listen and do what you must. I am in shock as I watch young people around the world doing stupid things, thinking they are funny, acting as it this thing will not touch them, we are learning this virus doesn't really care what age you are. I am more sad by attitudes around the world (and especially in the US) that feel older people should die, we have no value and if we were to die maybe it would be best. The leadership in Texas is deeply troubling, asking those who are older to "take one for the sake of the country???" Are you kidding me! What will that prove?
People get used to the fact our global economy will be shit for a long time...not the first time we have faced this and not the last, and we will deal with it, and move on. Will everyone feel it...sure. Maybe a little hit to our pockets will get people to start thinking about others and the collective pain. We have been very lucky in the US to have had years of relative good times, now we need to face the fact that hard times are here.
Let's stop pointing fingers and finding someone to blame and let's face it, we will all need to work together to get through this. Do we have poor leadership in the US currently, (rhetorical question which I won't bother to answer) But the larger question is what are you doing about it in your own backyard?
If you are not taking this seriously, if you insist, your rights are more important than protecting those around you, if you feel that you are more important than anyone else, well then, you are part of the reason this virus will not be contained anytime soon. If however, you do your part and stay home, practice proper hygiene, and care that others are affected by your actions, then we may just see some light at the end of this very long tunnel...oh this is not going to be contained by April 6th...so dream on.
As someone who has lived and worked in China for over 12 years, I can tell you that the steps they have taken here are working and we just need to get over the fact that China has done well...As someone who has lived in China through this event, you need to know the steps will work, but it will mean everyone gets serious. This is not a 30 min. sitcom where the ending happens and all is good in one episode, be prepared, it will strike again, and the 2nd time is worse.
So Mr. Oscar, are you as the new vocabulary says, "sheltering in place," practicing "social distancing," and doing all you can? Or are you only concerned with pointing fingers of blame and hoping this will go away without anymore inconvenience to you. Again a rhetorical question.
Sorry, I'm just getting tired of listening to people bitching and blaming. I can tell you I have been without paid work for 2 months now and I'm facing a 3rd month soon. I feel the pain of this and know first hand it's not easy...from that vantage point I implore everyone, just do your part, please!
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Hope:
Yep I am from the US and I want to emphasize that China has done very well after it woke up to the fact this wasn't just the "flu" It is true that democracy in these circumstances is not as effective as a government that just takes control and does what has to be done. While the goal of the company where I work is to teach English, my larger goal is to teach critical thinking skills. This has been a good example of why we need more critical thinkers and not just "herd" mentality. I stress constantly to my students to check the SOURCE and be sure not to pass rumors. In the first days of this there were so many rumors and stupid advice being sent out on Chinese social media...but once the government stepped up and cracked down, then we started getting better and more factual information flowing out.
Check out the SOURCE, then check it again with other SOURCES and know that it's good info before sharing, that is just a good rule to follow.
I just hope more Western countries will look at what China is doing now and follow it, they are doing the right protocols and it is working. Yesterday was the first time in over 7 weeks I actually went out of my home area. I took a public bus for the first time since I got back to China on Feb. 6th. I have to say it was actually nice. Buses here tend to be really crowded and packed but yesterday finding a seat, no problem, and clean, it was amazing! I hate to say it but I think I may really like this NEW China that is cleaner (if indeed they keep it up).
People are starting to return to life here but it's been slow. China got tough and did a total lock-down on Feb. 1st and it took until last week for things to ease up. It's been 6 weeks of lock-down, it will take time and people need to go slow and not rush it or this thing WILL come back with a even worse result.
There will be an economic impact no matter what, but if we don't suck it up now we will be facing further problems down the road with 2nd or even 3rd bouts of it. Take the pain now...just do it. Our company has been shut down for 8 weeks. We have been paying our staff 50% which is very hard because we have NO income so our reserves are being eaten up. We are facing at least one more month of no work and if it goes beyond that we most likely will shut for good. Everyone is concerned, but we all know that if we do not do what we have been asked to do we could be doing great harm in the long run. Even when we can open again which we hope will be May first. (Mind you we should have opened back from Chinese New Years on Feb. 5)...so 12 weeks of no income! We are not sure how many of our students will come back, or even what their public school schedule will be like. We teach most of our students on Sat/Sun but now we are being told to prepare for losing one of those days to the public school. Chinese kids will go back we hope April 20 and they will have to attend school 6 days a week for many months to come and NO summer break this year. They must make up the lost time but it will be very hard.
China has been at this longer than any other country so it is wisdom for others to see what we are doing and see what mistakes we have made and learn! I can't emphasize that enough. Before I became a teacher in China, I was an entrepreneur, I worked with the SBDCs in the US and helped small business people to grow their companies...I get it. However, stuff like this is something you can't really prepare for but you just need to do what you can to ride it out. That's what we have been trying to do.
I wish everyone the best in these hard times, remember if we can all just work together we can pull through and find that life can continue, it will not be as it was but it will continue.
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Hope:
Here is a website link: https://www.hngn.com/articles/228195/20200228/coronavirus-reinfection-possible-fatal-second-time.htm
this is an article that talks about getting the virus a 2nd time and the outcome of a 2nd infection. It was one of a handful I have found doing an internet search in the last week.
A few news sites have done some reporting but the truth is no one can say anything with certainty because this COVID-19 is so new and they don't have enough data to make concrete information available. 60 days ago, I would have told you based on the information we had, it's the 'flu', but today this is more than the 'flu' and we need to take steps to protect ourselves and others.
You have my permission to re-post but just use my initials please because I am not really at liberty to be saying much because of where I live. I hope you can understand that.
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