#I also had to wear a mask BEFORE the pandemic sometimes | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

babs-zone · 10 months

Text

a covid conscious road trip diary

los angeles to portland and back, no viruses allowed | april 2023

by babs ✨

hi yes good to be back n writing here on tumblr dot com, and what better place to start than with a little joy? in this series (a companion guide to my tiktok vlogs) i'm going to share how my partner and i traveled from LA to PDX and back without contracting the novel coronavirus.

click here for the full playlist on tiktok. click here for the above video.

⏤

who this is for:

people still using mitigation against SARS-CoV-2 looking for ways to get out and have a lil adventure without throwing caution to the winds

people who stopped using mitigation and are tired of getting sick

people who stopped using mitigation and want to start again

anyone else that finds it interesting ;)))

who this is not for:

people who don't think SARS-CoV-2 is a big deal and don't care to have an open conversation about why that is

people who want to police others behavior— i understand that we may not always see eye to eye, make exactly the same choices, etc, but there is a way to have those conversations while still acknowledging the reality that i have never knowingly been infected with SARS-CoV-2; while there's no accounting for luck, there's got to be something to what i'm doing

on that note, let's talk about my covid reality so we have a baseline knowledge of where i'm coming from:

29 / have fairly stable lupus and sjogrens syndrome / white (ashkenazi background is the lineage to carry the autoimmune diseases with 3 known cases in my fam) / (F) on medical charts but she/they to y'all tytyty / queer

my most *acutely* debilitating recurrent symptom is head and facial pain, which can be (though isn't always) triggered by mask wearing. i experienced this pain prior to the pandemic, but as time has gone on, i've had multiple episodes of pain directly connected to the pressure of a mask on my nose/sinus area (kind of in the same place as the malar rash), that extends into my eyes, up/over/around my skull, and into the clothes-hanger area of my bag, which can then in turn irritate my ribs (though not always, chronically ill people know how these things can cascade). this pain leaves me with intense sensory sensitivity (so in the dark, quiet, unable to do a lot of things), and can also include vomiting. for this reason, i try to spend as much time outside as possible.

10a-6p day job in communications where i work in person ~twice weekly at minimum (gotta Make Content and photos), as well as freelance photography, so my work is hybrid. in 2021 when i returned to work after i got vaccinated, i was still working the same food service job i'd been at since 2016. i ultimately quit that job in september of 2021 when i wasn't able to take enough time off to safely travel to photograph a wedding i'd committed to (driving takes way longer than flying), but had that not happened, i could've easily continued in that position despite the risk, as i'd structured my freelancing around that service job.

polyamorous and live with 2/3 of my partners (one works hybrid, one in service so all in-person), but we all have our own bedroom (even if we sleep in each others sometimes)

our household is in a pod with our other partners' household, which is three people in two bedrooms, all of whom work from home

my entire pod masks indoors outside of our homes unless the environment is intentionally controlled (prior testing, planning, etc); this has been a basic rule of thumb that has not changed the entire pandemic

a few of us, myself included, have access to tests through our jobs, so my household ~usually~ gets two PCRs and two RATs per week

both households have at least one HEPA filter (though all the filters need changing ngl)

both households have one aranet4 CO2 monitors, which is passed around based on need

we've had two covid positives in the pod: separate incidents, both in 2022, where both individuals were successfully isolated before further spread. blessedly, no longcovid symptoms from either of them.

so going into this trip, we brought

a good plan based on the swiss cheese model (above)

lots of different kinds of masks, as switching up the way pressure hits on my face can mean longer time able to mask

a bunch of covid tests

that's it

we considered taking one of the HEPA filters, but, as mentioned, they need changing and we just didn't have time to do so

likewise, didn't bring the CO2 monitors so others could use

ok, i think that's good background, now on to the fun!

⏤

day 1 - LA to silicon valley

after packing up the car, our first stop was coffee at the palm in burbank (which has online ordering and a walk up window), then we drove drove drove.

next stop was for lunch in bakersfield at vida vegan eatery, which has outdoor seating, but it was covered on three sides with plastic. we could've asked the folks working to lift the plastic, or we could've just taken the chance and eaten outside there regardless, as we would've been the only ones out there, but we chose to eat in the car, because this was a driving day anyhow.

drove drove drove some more thru gilroy, the garlic capital of california, where we masked up to stop at a lil farm stand.

made it to silicon valley, where we stayed at the sunnyvale ramada. we looked at a lot of chain options in the area, and chose this one not because it necessarily had the best reviews, but because it clearly had rooms that opened to the outside as well as the AC unit visible on the window, so the room takes in fresh air.

when we arrive at hotels, we mask up while do the requisite once-over (check for bed bugs, etc). we turn the ventilation up real high, open any windows, and prop the door open. masks stay on til we get all the bags in, when we usually settle in.

on this night, we threw on some nicer clothes and took a rapid test (negiii) before heading out to grab my cousin for dinner. they mask regularly, and also rapid tested negative before we headed over. even so, we keep masks on and windows down when we share the car with anyone outside the pod.

ended up on a nice pedestrian street in mountain view for dinner outdoors at yugen ramen and it was so quiet; we truly had the place to ourselves. finally, topped off the night with a quick pop into the patisserie down the street, maison alyzée. it was close to closing, so mostly empty outside of the unmasked proprietor, but, to be frank, we went into this trip assuming we'd be the only ones masked anywhere.

alright that's all for day one, eleven more to go!

#roadtripdiaries #disabledjoy #wlwcouple #westcoastroadtrip #pdx #portlandoregon #covidconscious #covidcapable #livingwithcovid #covid19 #road trip #covid mitigation #mitigation matters #living with covid #swiss cheese #swiss cheese model

6 notes · View notes

mitigatedchaos · 1 year

Note

worried about long coavid, using you as data point. did it stick or are you recovering? also hope you feel better soon etc.

I've been sick with fever three times since the start of the pandemic, if I recall correctly. First before the testing came out/testing was still restricted. Second time tested negative for Covid, but you know those tests aren't perfectly reliable. Third time tested positive with a quick test.

Both of my parents also got covid and they didn't seem to exhibit any long duration systems. It was just a more intense flu/cold for them.

I believe that during the first time I was feverish for multiple days, and I lost like 5-10 pounds. Probably properly sick for like a week, and then recovering after. I don't think I lost a noticeable amount of weight this time (third incident).

About three days ago I started getting that anxious feeling you sometimes get when you haven't physically moved your body enough or something. I was holding off because you know covid is associated with heart issues, but it's probably time to do moderate exercise again.

ADHD still seems a bit worse than it was pre this-incident, body also seems to not be back to 100% yet relative to what I can do per unit of sleep, though it's trending upward, and also like many ADHD people my sleep schedule is a bit fucked.

I didn't record enough data about the previous instances to make a comparison of whether it's getting worse. However, back when it first came out and people thought it was going to slaughter everyone and there weren't well-established procedures, I stayed at home for like a month, meaning I had less calibration data about physical endurance/etc.

So I don't think it's getting worse, however...

One month a year of mildly reduced capacity across the entire labor force, every year, is kind of a big drag if that's how this is going to be.

Problem for the lockdowners is that the policy you'd need to run is closed borders + everyone wears a gas mask for two weeks + disease surveillance.

#anons #asks

5 notes · View notes

sizzlingpatrolfox · 1 year

Note

Jimin used to be so confident and chic, but now he’s the opposite.

It’s crazy to look at his kitty gang videos to see how nice he was dressed and how confident. He was simply cool. Now at dior he looks lost and uncomfortable. I know this is a new medium and he is doing it by himself for the first time, but I can’t help but think that it’s a downgrade from how he used to present himself.

I know what you mean, but I don't think he's not confident anymore. He still believes in himself so much. I agree overall with what you're trying to say, just that I think the examples you used are not good examples.

Fashion changes and trends change. He used to wear skinny jeans, now he doesn't. Okay. After the pandemic, if you go back and look at BTS at aiports, none of them were trying to look good. Like, in general all of them "downgraded" their style and when they were able to travel again, they all wore very casual clothes in comparison to what they used to wear before quarantine. I don't really care for the skinny jeans but I do wish Jimin would stop wearing a beanie everytime. He has to wear a mask, I get it, but that already covers up all of his face and the beanie covers it even more.

As for kitty gang, that was concert Jimin. I felt like he had a similar energy in the Vegas concerts, but that would be the only time in the recent years.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before, but the way he was in his 2021 birthday live was sooo him. Same for every live that came after, but that bday live was one of the first times I remember thinking that was the real Jimin. I always remember what he said in festa 2019, that BTS Jimin was bolder and more confident than the real Park Jimin, that regular Park Jimin was shy and indecisive. He said something along those lines in some of his interviews in 2020 and 2021, too; that he's introspective and introverted.

For me, we've been seeing the real Park Jimin since 2020. None of us can say how that change came to be because we don't know all the details, but I do know that as we grow older our energy naturally subsides, at least for the majority of adults. We're less excitable, less outgoing, we think more, and thinking changes people. I also remember that Jimin said he wasn't okay for like a year after the pandemic, and I think that anyone who pays attention to him noticed that he didn't seem particularly happy or joyful. Not being okay for a long period of time also changes you.

So, yeah. It's true that his energy is not the same. I won't lie and sometimes I do miss the Jimin you're talking about, and I have moments of YOU COULD OWN THE WORLD JIMINNNN ACT LIKE IT!!! Admittedly we're all kind of addicted to this attitude

I believe he could bring it out again, he just needs the perfect situation.

I also really love this Jimin right now anyways because in the end he's always been this humble, soft-spoken, playful, sweet, hardworking and loving person. He's never had any ego at all. We've just been seeing more of it, more of the guy in tracksuits who hangs out with friends at food trucks on the streets.

3 notes · View notes

thenightling · 2 years

Text

My review of episode 2 of Interview with the vampire

Episode 2 of Interview with the vampire is better but not great. Yet again we get constant reminders of the pandemic. Louis had human servants who wear face masks and serve him blood in wine glasses and tied up animals on silver trays. One of them says he believes he serves a God.

The pandemic stuff feels very dated already and is like watching a late 90s action moving going on and on about Y2K.

There are name drops of other vampires. A painting by Marius is in Daniel’s room and Louis’s boy-toy calls out to Rashied before fainting. One thing that rubs me the wrong way is Louis mentions a blood farm. This feels very wrong for the character to take part in such a thing.

I think the best moments are between Louis and Lestat. Lestat is actually very doting but ...much like his literary counterpart he’s a bit of an idiot. He’s babbling about going to the opera and Louis whines “I almost ate my nephew, Lestat!” I don’t know if this was meant to be comedic but I almost laughed.

And no, now that Louis is a vampire, Lestat cannot read his thoughts, just like in the novel. However, yet again, when he quotes lines from the novel it’s very jarring because it does not match the lines written just for the show.

By the way, episode 2 confirms that Louis is gay (he uses the word queer) and Lestat is “indiscriminate.” Yet again, Anne Rice’s vampires were all bi / pan in the novels. So it’s weird seeing Daniel as straight.

A little annoyingly the show feels the need to remind us every few minutes that Louis is black. He deals with racism. Daniel even tries to provoke him by mocking him for saying he and Lestat were equals. It gets uncomfortable and doesn’t feel like it’s addressing racism so much as it’s actually... a bit racist.

Even having Louis pose as Lestat’s valet when they go to the opera together, walking a pace behind him, taking his coat, etc.

Louis cries blood tears, just like in the novel. It’s a nice detail but one of the few I really appreciate.

The show sometimes feels like it was written by someone who only saw the 1994 film, and didn’t actually read the novel. Yet again it’s implied that drinking blood of the dead will kill them when in the actual novel it would only weaken them and make them dizzy.

Lestat mentioned only feeding on those who deserve it but Louis describes a whole scene where Lestat goes after a singer for not being skilled enough in his vocal range. He severs the man’s vocal chords and then does a poor imitation of the prostitute death from the Interview with the vampire movie. It’s not comfortable and it’s not well done either. It feels like a mockery of the movie scene. But now with a heavy set young male singer.

Yes, Louis can eat human food. He doesn’t like the taste of it but he can eat it. I don’t see the point of giving them the ability to eat human food in this. It’s stupid. In the novel (much like in Fred Saberhagen’s Dracula books) and What we do in the Shadows? they would vomit if they tried to eat human food. Their bodies cannot digest it. They don’t produce waste. They burn all the components in the blood. So allowing them to eat human food in this has no real rhyme or reason. I also get annoyed that Lestat claims all human thought is about food, sex, or wanting to go Home. What is this? Twilight?

And yet again, Lestat’s actor is probably the best thing about it...

I had heard they haven’t revealed who is playing Armand because it will be a “surprise twist” that doesn’t exist in the books. But I think I’ll figure it out. This show is pretty predictable.

#Interview with the vampire #Anne Rice

5 notes · View notes

the-bjd-community-confess · 2 years

Text

I have one friend irl that I share doll stuff with. We’ve been friends a very long time and we often take trips to thrift stores and craft stores to buy accessories and supplies for our collections and dolls together.

I’ve been deaf in one of my ears since I was a child due to a genetic condition and I never really complained much about it I just dealt with it. I had issues with it in school because I couldn’t hear people talking to me, but doctors never really wanted to help me with it because the deafness has been gradual because of the condition I have. I’m in my mid 20’s now so I can’t hear anything in that ear anymore besides ringing and it’s been difficult as of late and this doll friend has always been kind of insensitive about it.

He often stands on the wrong side of me or faces away from me when talking (I usually read lips) and I’ve told him a thousand times that I’m hard of hearing and lately because of the pandemic and people wearing masks I’ve had to say “I’m sorry, can you speak up? I’m hard of hearing.” Over and over in public, so I got tired of it and finally went out of my way to get a hearing assistive device. I figured I could justify it because I’m like 90-95% deaf in that ear now. It’s pricey (even though I got a very generic and simplistic one) so I had to skip out on some doll stuff I wanted last month.

Anyway I’ve been wearing it now when I go out and I’m still getting used to it. I have to adjust a lot especially in small rooms or cars because I get a lot of feedback if people talk too loud, but I’m kind of excited about it. I really like that I can hear again but it also makes me happy as a disabled person (I have a few invisible disabilities) to have something to show people to “prove” I’m disabled because I feel like people just don’t believe that I’m deaf in one ear because I didn’t talk about it a lot growing up, so I’ve been pretty happy about it. I don’t talk it to death though and I’m not constantly fussing with it if I don’t have to adjust it and I don’t go around announcing that I’m deaf or that I have a hearing aid to people if I haven’t already asked them to speak up.

So the other day, my doll friend and I decided to go shopping at a thrift store and then a craft store and then to get lunch because I have a new doll on its way and he’s been wanted to get some craft stuff and also look at playline stuff at the local thrift shop and like I said, I’ve still been testing the hearing aid because I only got it a week or two ago. He doesn’t like the feedback so I make sure to adjust it before I we go out and only adjust it if we’re not really close together in case it feeds back. I talked about it a bit at the beginning of the trip because I had an issue with it that day where someone yelled so loud it had like screeched at me and I thought it was funny and then in the thrift store the cashier was wearing a mask and I struggled to hear my total even with the hearing aid on so I told her that I’m hard of hearing and we laughed about it and I told her I’m still learning my hearing aid and it was a nice moment, but my friend didn’t seem to think it was funny.

The trip was mostly fine but it came up again when someone in the craft store asked about it and then I made a joke about it when my friend and I were laughing at lunch about how hard it is to hear people with masks on, but when I made the joke he got kind of rude. He did the sort of “yeah, yeah, I get it you wear a hearing aid” with the implied (you don’t have to keep talking about it). Sometimes I talk too much (usually about dolls tho) and I get t that, so I would’ve just taken that as it was, but he’s been insensitive about my deafness in the past so it really hurt my feelings.

Now I don’t know how to feel because it’s kind of soured spending time with him because I feel like if I can’t hear then I can’t ask for anyone to speak up or he’ll get frustrated with me. Also I have a doll that was originally just supposed to be mute, but now I’m thinking about making her partially deaf or making a new deaf character doll, but I feel like I can’t share that with him because clearly it annoys him.

He can be kind of shitty sometimes, but most of the time he’s a cool guy and we’ve known each other a very long time, but this really hurt my feelings and idk how to feel about this whole thing now.

~Anonymous

#BJD #ABJD #BJD Confessions #Community Confessions #Health #BJD Friends

6 notes · View notes

frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 1 year

Photo

1st January >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 2:16-21 for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God: ‘As for Mary, she treasured all these things’.

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Gospel (Except USA)

Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger.

The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.

When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

Gospel (USA)

Luke 2:16–21

They found Mary and Joseph and the infant. When the eight days were completed, he was named Jesus.

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Reflections (11)

(i) Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Sometimes our prayer can be inspired by the Scriptures. Many people like to pray the psalm, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. The Lord’s Prayer which we pray at every Mass is from the gospels. I am very fond of that prayer of blessing in today’s first reading. It is the blessing of Aaron over the people of Israel, just before they set out from Mount Sinai on a new phase of their journey through the wilderness towards the promised land. It is a prayer of blessing any of us could pray for others, silently or aloud. That prayer of blessing expresses a hope that was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. It was at that moment that the Lord God let his face shine upon us and was gracious to us, that he uncovered his face to us and brought us peace.

There are two references to the face of God in that blessing, ‘May the Lord let his face shine upon you… May the Lord uncover his face to you’. There is another reference to God’s face in today’s psalm, ‘Let your face shed its light upon us’. It was a strongly held belief among the Jews that no one could see the face of God and live. Yet, God showed us his face through the birth of Jesus, and through his life, death and resurrection. Jesus was God-with-us, Emmanuel. As mother of Jesus, Mary was mother of God-with-us, mother of God. When we venerate Mary as mother of God, we are making a statement about her child, Jesus. Jesus is God’s face made visible to us. When we look upon the face of Mary’s child, we are looking upon the face of God. This is why we can venerate Mary not only as the mother of Jesus but also as the mother of God. Mary was proclaimed Mother of God at the Council of Ephesus in modern day Turkey in the year 431 AD. The Council was expressing its conviction that Mary’s son was not only fully human but was also fully divine. In the frailty and vulnerability of Mary’s new-born child, God was uncovering his face. God was being revealed in a way that was profoundly new. Jesus was not only Mary’s son but God’s Son. In the words of Saint Paul in today’s second reading, ‘When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman’.

It is by showing our face to one another than we become recognizable. When we were all wearing masks during the Covid pandemic we were not as recognizable as we usually are. In showing his face to us through Jesus, God has become recognizable. Jesus has revealed the face of God to be a face of love, a love that seeks out the lost, brings back the stray, a love that suffers with those who suffer and that brings new life out of death, a love that does not come to an end. There is much to ponder as we look upon the son of Mary and Joseph. The rich identity of this child was revealed to the shepherds by an angel who declared him to be a ‘Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord’. According to the gospel reading, the shepherds repeated to Mary what the angel had said to them about her child. We are told that Mary treasured the words of the shepherds and pondered them in her heart. It was as if Mary was trying to come to terms with the wonder of her child’s identity. God had given Mary much to ponder in calling her to be the mother of his Son, the mother of God. The feast of Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, gives us all much to ponder in our hearts, much to treasure. God is uncovering his face to us, drawing near to us through Jesus, the same Jesus who is now the risen Lord in our midst. We are invited to go on treasuring and pondering this good news, like Mary, and to continue glorifying and praising God for this good news, like the shepherds.

Whenever we prayerfully ponder and treasure the gift of God’s Son to us, as Mary did, we open ourselves up to the light of God’s loving face. Mary serves as a model for us of pondering God’s word, who is Jesus, and of treasuring the good news about Jesus, our Saviour and Lord. The light of God’s face shone upon Mary in a special way, because she had a unique relationship with God’s Son; she alone was his mother. She indeed had much to ponder. Yet, Saint Paul in today’s second reading reminds us all of our own special relationship with God’s Son. As Paul says, ‘God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba, Father”’ Through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, has been poured into our hearts, bringing us to share in Jesus’ own relationship with God. The light of God’s face has shone wonderfully upon all of us. There is much here for us to ponder as well. It is because the Spirit of God’s Son has been poured into our hearts that we can bring Jesus into the world as Mary did.

And/Or

(ii) Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God

Because we have grown so accustomed to our yearly celebration of the feast of Christmas, it can happen that the events we celebrate at Christmas no longer surprise us. We can easily cease to be amazed at them. Today on the feast of Mary, Mother of God, which is the octave day of Christmas, we see Mary, in the gospel reading, marvelling at what has happened, treasuring the events of Christmas in her memory, and pondering them in her heart. The image of Mary put before us in this morning’s gospel reading is that of the contemplative woman who ponders the marvels the Almighty has done for her and for all people. She ponders in response to what the shepherds said to her. The shepherds had preached the gospel to her. They repeated to her what had been told to them by the angels, ‘Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’. This is the good new of great joy, the gospel. It is this good news that she treasured and pondered over. The same gospel has been preached to us, and we are invited to treasure it, to ponder on it and to respond to it, as Mary did. Today is new year’s day, a day to make resolutions. What better new year’s resolution could we make today than that of adopting Mary’s stance before the gospel? Today’s feast invites us to share in Mary’s sense of awe and wonder before God’s merciful love, made known to us in Jesus, Mary’s son. As we look towards the new year, which begins today, we ask Mary to help us to treasure the gospel as she did, so that Jesus might come to others through us as he came to us through Mary.

And/Or

(iii) Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God

Mary was declared to be Mother of God at the council of Ephesus towards the end of the fifth century. This was as much a declaration about Jesus as it was about Mary. It is because Jesus is both human and divine that Mary the mother of Jesus can be declared to be the Mother of God or in the language of the Council, the Theotokos, the God bearer. The title ‘Mother of God’ is one of Mary’s more exalted titles. Yet, at the heart of the gospel reading for this feast is the simple scene in Bethlehem of Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus lying in a manger, being visited by the shepherds who had been tending their flocks in the fields. Mary’s new born child is completely dependent on her and on Joseph for survival. Without their loving care this child would have had no future. Mary was first and foremost a mother and it was her motherly care and Joseph’s fatherly care which allowed Jesus to become the adult he became with the enormous consequences of that for all of us. As we celebrate the feast of Mary as Mother of God, the gospel reading puts the emphasis on Mary as mother. It also draws our attention to Mary as the contemplative, reflective woman. The gospel reading declares that she treasured all the things the shepherds said and pondered them in her heart. There was indeed much to ponder because her vulnerable new born child was the unique revelation of God to us; he was Emmanuel, God-with-us. The unique identity of her child meant that Mary’s own identity was special. She was mother of Emmanuel, mother of God, and there is much to ponder there, not only for Mary but for all of us.

And/Or

(iv) Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God

Today is one of the great feasts of Mary and, of course, it coincides with New Year’s day. In more recent times we have come to appreciate Mary as the disciple of Jesus, who models for us what it is to be a faithful disciple. On today’s feast, however, we focus on Mary as the mother of Jesus. Before Mary became the disciple of Jesus, he learned from her. It was through Mary and Joseph that Jesus was initiated into the religious traditions of his people. Even more fundamentally still, it was from Mary that Jesus received his human life. She was the flesh and blood from which the human body of Jesus was formed. The Word became flesh through her. As Paul in our second reading states, Jesus was born of a woman, born of Mary. Jesus’ first dwelling was in Mary’s womb. Today is new year’s day. Mary’s life was instrumental in ushering in not only a new year but a new age. This is the age when, according to Paul in that second reading, God sent his Son, born of a woman... to enable us to be adopted as sons and daughters. Because of this new age that was ushered in by the son of Mary, the Son of God, we can face each new year with hope and confidence. As Paul says in that reading, we are the adopted sons and daughters of God; the Spirit of God’s Son has been poured into our hearts, crying ‘Abba, Father’; as adopted sons and daughters of God, we are heirs to eternal life. There is a great deal to treasure and to ponder here, just as in the gospel reading today Mary is described as treasuring the words of the shepherds and pondering them in her heart. Because we are sons and daughters of God, who can look to Jesus as our brother and to Mary his mother as our mother, the door of the new year is open to new graces. We can make new resolutions, knowing that following through on them is not down to us alone. We have been greatly graced, through Mary’s son, and the Lord’s grace and power is there to enable us to follow through on our resolutions. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, it was a new beginning for her, for Joseph, for Jesus and for all humanity. Today, the feast of Mary’s motherhood, New Year’s Day, is a good day for all of us to make our own new beginning in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.

And/Or

(v) Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God

The gospel reading for today’s feast day is also the gospel reading for Christmas day. However, our focus today in the gospel reading is on Mary, the mother of Jesus. In one of the very early councils of the church, the council of Ephesus, Mary was proclaimed Mother of God because Jesus, her son, was understood to be God, God in human form, God with us, Emmanuel. The title ‘Mother of God’ is probably the most exalted title that Mary has been given by the church. Yet, in today’s gospel reading we are given an image of Mary as a young woman who has just given birth to her son, probably in a cave where animals were brought for shelter and feeding. The exalted is present in the simplest of settings. The shepherds who have come in from the fields have a story to tell, the story of the appearance of the angels who announced that this child was none other than a Saviour, Christ the Lord. The shepherds proclaim the gospel to Mary, Joseph and all who were present with them; they become the first evangelists. Everyone who heard this gospel, we are told, was astonished. However, Mary was not only astonished. Luke tells us that she treasured the words that the shepherds spoke and pondered them in her heart. She is reflective, even contemplative, before this extraordinary news, this gospel. The same gospel has been preached to all of us, and Mary models for us one of the ways of responding to the gospel. We too must treasure this good news and ponder it in our heart. There is an extraordinary mystery here that cannot be fully explained because it is inexhaustible. The Word became flesh; God became human; this young woman from Nazareth is the mother of God. In today’s second reading, Paul has his own way of expressing this mystery. God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law; God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba, Father’. Mary must have pondered on how greatly she had been graced by God. We have all been greatly graced through Mary’s son. Treasuring and pondering on how we have been graced allows this grace to touch us deeply so that we become channels of God’s grace, God’s favour, to each other. Having been so greatly blessed, we are to be a source of God’s blessing for others, as Aaron and his sons were a channel of God’s blessing for the people of Israel, according to this morning’s first reading.

And/Or

(vi) Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

Mary was declared to be Mother of God at the council of Ephesus towards the end of the fifth century. This was as much a declaration about Jesus as it was about Mary. It is because Jesus is both God as well as human that Mary the mother of Jesus can be declared to be the Mother of God or in the language of the Council, the Theotokos, the God bearer. The title ‘Mother of God’ is one of Mary’s most exalted titles. Yet, the gospel reading for this feast describes a very humble and simple scene. We are given a picture of Mary and Joseph and their child, lying in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. They are being visited by the shepherds of the fields, and these shepherds have a wonderful story to tell about a visitation by angels while they were watching over their sheep and who announced to them the birth of a Saviour who is Christ the Lord. The shepherds repeat this gospel that had been told to them; they become the first preachers of the gospel in Luke’s story of Jesus. It is said of Mary that she treasured all these things that the shepherds said to her and pondered them in her heart. She treasured the gospel and pondered it in her heart. She has much to ponder because the child to whom to whom she has given birth and to whom she is mother is a unique child, who has a unique relationship with God. This makes Mary’s motherhood somewhat unique. The shepherd’s proclamation of the gospel gave Mary much to ponder but it gives all of us much to ponder. The birth of Mary’s son had huge implications for us all. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading that because God sent his Son born of a woman and then sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, we have all been drawn into Jesus’ own special relationship with God. We are all sons of daughters of God, calling God ‘Abba’, Father, as Jesus did. This is our baptismal identity. There is a great deal for us to treasure and to ponder here on this New Year’s Day and during the coming year. In today’s gospel reading Mary shows us that prayerful pondering and treasuring is an important part of our response to the many ways that we have been graced by God’s sending of his Son.

And/Or

(vii) Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

We have been celebrating the feast of Christmas and our focus has been on the child Jesus. Today’s feast places the focus on the mother of the child, Mary. We celebrate Mary as the Mother of God because we believe that her child, Jesus, was God in human form. The title ‘Mother of God’ affirms something very important about Mary’s child. This was, indeed, a fully human child in every sense, with all the same needs and vulnerability as any child. Yet, this particular child revealed God to us in a way no other child before or since has done. In looking upon the face of this child, we are looking upon the face of God. There is a mystery here which is not possible to fully fathom with the use of human reason alone. There is a great deal to be reflected upon here and, ultimately, surrendered to. This morning’s gospel reading presents Mary as doing just that. In response to the story that the shepherds had to tell, we are told that Mary ‘treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart’. She treasured and pondered the announcement of the angels to the shepherds, ‘to you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour who is Christ, the Lord’. ‘Saviour’, ‘Christ’, ‘Lord’ – these are very striking titles for her new-born child. There is indeed a great deal here to be treasured and pondered, not just for Mary but for all of us, because Mary’s child was born ‘to you’, to each one of us. Our faith, and the content of our faith, is ultimately a gift from God, but it is a gift to be treasured and pondered. We spend our lives treasuring and plumbing the depths of God’s gift of his Son to us and of God’s relationship with us through his Son, in the Spirit. Mary’s contemplative attitude before God’s mysterious gift is a model for us all. As we begin this new year today, we pray that during the coming twelve months we might grow in our appreciation of the way God ‘has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing’, in the words of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

And/Or

(viii) Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

I am very fond of that blessing of Aaron that is to be found in the first reading. I often find myself praying it for someone who needs prayers. It is a lovely prayer of intercession. The last line of the prayer is ‘May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace’. It strikes me that this prayer has been fulfilled in a wonderful way through the birth of Jesus, Mary’s son. In and through this child, God was uncovering his face to us, and bringing us peace. When we look upon the face of Mary’s child, we are looking upon the face of God. This is why we can venerate Mary not only as the mother of Jesus but also as the mother of God. Mary was proclaimed Mother of God at the Council of Ephesus in modern day Turkey in the year 431 AD. The Council was expressing its conviction that Mary’s son was not only fully human but was also fully divine. In the frailty and vulnerability of this new-born child, God was uncovering his face. God was being revealed in a way that was profoundly new. Jesus was not only Mary’s son but God’s Son. In the words of Saint Paul in today’s second reading, ‘When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman’. There was so much more to this new-born child than met the eye. The rich identity of this baby had been revealed to the shepherds by an angel as a ‘Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord’. According to the gospel reading, the shepherds repeated to Mary what the angel had said to them about her child. We are told that Mary treasured the words of the shepherds and pondered them in her heart. It was as if Mary was trying to come to terms with who her child really was. The feast of Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, gives us all much to treasure and much to ponder in our hearts. God is uncovering his face to us through Jesus; God is drawing near to us through Jesus, the same Jesus who is now the risen Lord in our midst. We are invited to go on treasuring and pondering this good news, like Mary, and to continue glorifying and praising God for it, like the shepherds.

And/Or

(ix) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

There is no reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the letters of Paul. The nearest Paul comes to mentioning Mary is in today’s second reading from the letter to the Galatians where he declares that ‘God sent his Son, born of a woman’. In that succinct statement Paul sums up the meaning of today’s feast. God’s Son was born of a woman. Mary is the mother of God’s Son and because God’s Son, Jesus, is God in human form, Mary is the Mother of God. To say that Mary is the Mother of God is to make a statement not only about Mary but about Jesus. Jesus, Mary’s Son, is God with us. This is the message that was given to the shepherds by the angels, according to Luke’s gospel, ‘to you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord’. The term ‘Lord’ was the name of God in the Jewish Scriptures. This child is Lord or God, God become flesh. In today’s gospel reading, we are told that the shepherds repeated to Mary and Joseph this message that had been given to them by the angels. Just as the angels were God’s messengers to the shepherds, the shepherds now become God’s messengers to Mary and Joseph. Just as the angels proclaimed the gospel to the shepherds, they in turn proclaimed the gospel to Mary and Joseph. The gospel that the shepherds proclaimed in Bethlehem met with a two-fold response. The gospel reading says that all who heard what the shepherds said were astonished at their message, including Mary and Joseph. It is also said of Mary that she treasured the words spoken by the shepherds and pondered them in her heart. We are all invited to respond to the gospel, to the good news that God is with us through the child of Mary and Joseph, in the same two-fold way. We are to retain a sense of astonishment at this extraordinary good news that God has come among us in the frailty of human flesh, in the vulnerable child who became the vulnerable adult on Calvary. We are also to keep treasuring this gospel, and keep pondering on it so as to keep probing its wonderful richness. On this first day of a new year, we commit ourselves anew to appreciating the gospel that has been proclaimed to us, and to sharing this gospel with others.

And/Or

(x) Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

In both today’s first reading and responsorial psalm there is a reference to the Lord’s face. In the first reading, we find that wonderful blessing, ‘May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you’. In the psalm, we pray, ‘God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us’. In each of those references, the face of God is associated with a shining light; the light of the Lord’s gracious presence shines from his face. Both the first reading and the psalm expresses the longing of the people of Israel to see the face of God, a face they knew to be a gracious source of healing and saving light. At this Christmas time, we, as Christians, celebrate the good news that the child Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, reveals the face of God to us. To look upon the face of this child is to look upon the face of God. God has let his face shine upon us through this child. The child Jesus is God with us, the Word who is God made flesh, and Mary, as the mother of this child, is the mother of God. In the year 431, the church at the Council of Ephesus declared Mary to be the God bearer, the mother of God. It is, perhaps, the most exalted of all Mary’s titles. Yet, the portrayal of Mary in today’s gospel reading could not be described as exalted. There she is, with Joseph, probably in one of the caves just outside Bethlehem, with her child in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, listening to the humble shepherds tell their story of what they had just seen and heard while watching over their sheep in the nearby hills. The gospel readings says of Mary that she was astonished at what the shepherds had to say, and that she treasured what they said and pondered it in her heart. Four hundred years later, the church would proclaim Mary to be the Mother of God, but that night in Bethlehem she is portrayed as struggling to come to terms with the mysterious way God was working in her life. Mary’s exalted title does not remove her from us. Like her, we are invited to be astonished at the gifts and graces that God sends us and to treasure them. We are also called, like Mary, to ponder over the sometimes mysterious ways that God may be working in our lives. It is because the Lord’s ways, his call to us, is not always crystal clear that we need to keep praying with today’s psalm, ‘God, be gracious and bless us, and let your face shed its light upon us’ - upon each of us, this coming year.

And/Or

(xi) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

New Year’s Day is often a time for looking back and also for looking forward. This past year has been an anxious and difficult one for most of us because of the Pandemic. We remain in the midst of the Pandemic, but we can look forward to the coming year with hope because of the vaccines that are coming on stream. In our own Diocese of Dublin, the appointment of a new Archbishop gives us another reason for looking forward in hope. We could do worse than pray the blessing in today’s first reading for him, ‘May the Lord bless him and keep him, May the Lord let his face shine on him and be gracious to him. May the Lord uncover his face to him and bring him peace’. I have always been drawn to that prayer of blessing and I often pray it for others. It was above all through the birth of Jesus, Mary’s child, that the Lord blessed us and kept us, made his face to shine upon us and was gracious to us. Today we celebrate Mary as mother, mother of Jesus, mother of God’s Son, mother of God. It was because of her ‘yes’ to God’s call that God blessed us so abundantly through Jesus, her son, and revealed the light of his face to us, displaying his gracious love. In the words of Saint Paul in today’s second reading, it was because God sent his Son, born of a woman, born of Mary, that the Spirit of God’s Son has been poured into all our hearts, drawing us into a share in Jesus’ own relationship with God, enabling us to cry out ‘Abba, Father’, alongside Jesus. There is much to treasure and ponder here, and that is what we find Mary doing in today’s gospel reading. When the shepherds share their night time experience of the visit of an angel announcing the birth of a Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord, we are told that ‘Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart’. As mother of God’s Son, mother of God, she contemplates the wonder, the mystery, of it all, and she encourages us to do the same. On this New Year’s Day, because of the way God has blessed us through Mary’s son, we all have much to treasure and much to ponder in a spirit of gratitude.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

2 notes · View notes

quaranmine · 2 years

Note

Fucking hell, get well soon! Remember to drink lots of water and if you can, watch a nice show.

(Source: also had corona as first time living semi-alone. It sucks but it gets better, once you get done with bureaucracy you can just nap and rest atleast for a little while)

thank you <333 yeha i got all my stuff done today so im just gonna take tomorrow to rest. the doctor gave me some meds so hopefully they make me feel better! i wish i was at my parent's house but tbh i wouldnt want to be around them for them to get infected anyway

i feel so bad because there's quite a few people i could have infected around me before i started showing symptoms, although im helped by the fact that a lot of them i encountered outdoors. but i feel bad! i know it's been happening everywhere for the past 2 years but it feels so horribly embarassing and like a personal failing on me to have to text everyone and notify contact tracing at my job. even though i know i've done WAY more than anyone else in my area to keep safe (people in texas stopped wearing masks like...two months into the pandemic in 2020 and im still wearing them in public places despite being literally only one to do so and sometimes receiving strange looks)

oh well, embarassment from having to tell everyone i've been in contact with aside, at least they all know i take contact tracing seriously and i'm not just ignoring it lol

#im sooo paranoid since i've been afraid of getting it all pandemic bc im immunocompromised #but so far i have only had mild symptoms and the doctor said they'd probably stay that way #like im still sick but im not horribly sick thankfully #quara asks

3 notes · View notes

housefashionblog24 · 4 days

Text

sweet n sour grenouille

I just found some of those rice cakes like I have only had before at a Chinese restaurant in France. I did not order the sweet and sour grenouille. I went there for a few days or something in like 2010 or around that time while I was working for undergraduate research. I learned about and presented things for biomedical instrumentation at a research conference, and I got drunk and hooked up with one of the French students of the professor I already met before, so it wasn't totally uninvited or inappropriate. I wasn't that nice, I wanted to be drunk and smoke the Lucky brand version of Camel crush that they had in France. I did my best with my naive ambitions and wearing Forever 21 for young professional business. Did I shower at all? Did he care? I didn't really want to talk to him after that because I was ashamed of my own behavior and also he came on too strong in his emails. I don't even know where to find HIM anymore, but there's always hints around reminding me of those times. There is a youtube channel about a woman living in New York, and for some reason I found it and i am a viewer and her boyfriend is a similar type to that student in France I was a sloppy whore with. He wears a yellowish off white cable knit crew knit sweater like I am wearing in my LinkedIn profile photo. His name is Archie, have you ever heard that song Sugar, Sugar by the Archie's? I don't watch every video of hers because it's one of those that is produced with me in the network as a viewer and my online activity and history, and i am not exactly a productive or happy person with friends, so i feel hurt and left out sometimes instead of included or whatever. There's also medical instruments in my shopping feed recently like i studied for undergraduate research, but they had those for every medical checkup at jail. I worked with some students from foreign countries with uncommon names, and there are random things named after them in the recent media. The last photos on my digital camera from France were of that Chinese food meal, the student I was with took photos of me hung over with those rice cake things similar to what i have here now. He couldn't get marijuana, but he had something called "shit" for me to smoke (not like "shit" around here, which I understand colloquially refers to crystal meth), it looked like a pellet of dog food or something but I guess it was hashish. Was that the most recent photo on the camera, a close up of the little piece of shit? was sober enough to feel horrible and very afraid traveling back to the U.S. when the intimidating European security guards at Schipol airport searched my luggage at the gate of the transferring flight and looked through all my photos. Good old Schipol.

My hair was lighter and more red/blonde than it is now, and in recent years, there are women around who have that hairdo and they do weird things around. Once, one was in front of me in line at 7-Eleven after sunrise but before work hours, and she was dressed up in some things like I would have worn as a student being a sexy professional with whatever I could get from Forever 21 or ROSS dress for less in my size and that style. She said something loudly and obvious to the cashier about going to work after that. That is like me when I tried to go to graduate school at Arizona State, but I flunked out. There was also catastrophic flooding in France during the pandemic, and they interviewed one of them wearing a mask and fleeing the disaster and she actually spoke French.

now I'm trying these, they're sweet and salty and maybe better for snacking than the rice cakes from the Chinese restaurant in France, but I'm not drunk right now so I couldn't tell you

0 notes

robertsondakthewriter · 9 months

Text

Friday Cafe Cambridge Ma. 2002

Robert Sondak Spare Change News

Vendor-Writer

When the Friday Café at the First Church of Cambridge reopened in September 2022, the occasion marked the welcome return of a sorely-missed resource for our community.

As a cook and chef, I started to visit the Friday Café bimonthly the first three years it was open from 2014 through 2017. I was immediately impressed with the warm atmosphere that allowed the homeless and local Cambridge residents to eat and chat socially together surrounded by music. Sometimes I would visit the Café before selling Spare Change News; other times I would take the day off from hawking newspapers and spend the entire time at the cafe.

I enjoyed the wide range of high quality locally-created vegetarian and non-vegetarian entrees and side dishes: beef, pasta, fruit salads, chicken soups, bean-based soups, fresh fruit,

fresh tossed salads, sliced turkey or ham sandwiches and wraps. The food was simply made, low in sugar, low in salt, and very appealing.

After coming regularly to the Café, I introduced myself to the Rev. Kate Layzer, the program director. I inquired about volunteering and highlighted that I had a background in food service and also worked at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Rev. Kate suggested that I could follow some some simple protocols and cook entrees in my kitchen to bring to the lunch program. The protocols included having a clean kitchen floor with counter, a stove top, and a thoroughly-clean stove oven. She suggested that I come in beforehand and review in person any recipes to avoid any duplication and to get cooking suggestions.

I submitted a couple of recipes to Rev. Kate over the next three years. The first recipe submitted was quinoa vegetable pilaf with diced bell peppers and scallions sautéd in olive oil. I followed this dish with two versions of a carb-

based pasta. The first entree was red lentil pasta made with a side of mushroom and red-orange bell peppers. It took an hour and a half to cook altogether and was gone in 45 minutes on the buffet line, well received by close to 200 guests. The next dish was chickpea pasta made with green and red bell peppers and scallions seasoned with black pepper and ground oregano. The total time to cook the meal was 90 minutes. The chickpea pasta was also well received, and another nearly 200 guests cleared the dish from the buffet line in just an hour.

When the pandemic sent the city into lockdown in March 2022, outreach services at the First Church continued. Though the Café was closed, it continued to provide bagged lunches from March 2020 until its reopening.

There were multiple attempts to reopen the Café, but Rev. Kate said the Café scuttled reopening plans when Omicron hit.

“The Café administration watched the CDC website,“ she said. “They waited for COVID rates in Middlesex county to drop

from Red to Yellow to Green, meaning low risk of spread.”

The Friday Café made a quiet return to indoor seating on September 23, 2022 and once again welcomes everyone to come right inside into a cozy, wooden floor parish hall. It has continued to serve high quality, locally-crafted food created by a team of 40 volunteer cooks in their own kitchens. As always, the food is low sugar and low salt, but the current menu is smaller than before and potluck- style, and the Café’s hours are more limited than prior to the pandemic: 12 p.m. through 3 p.m. each Friday.

“We worked hard on the public health of the space,” Rev. Kate said. “We consulted with the church along with the Cambridge Public Health Department on space plans.”

The Friday Café’s new health protocols include offering fewer tables and chairs, a CO2 monitor, and a group of fans in place. Weather permitting an open front door circulates fresh air all the time. Food is served in a buffet line operated by a team

of servers who are now wearing facial masks while serving. Prior to 2020, the Café regularly accommodated about 200 guests; with the new protocols, it now operates with half that number of guests.

The Friday Café has a very strong outreach program assisting its homeless guests. In addition to working with the CPHD on holding COVID vaccine clinics for guests and volunteers over the last three years, the Café is now offering a series of new outreach services. They now have an outreach housing navigator working with some of the Café’s homeless guests with public housing, and the nurses from CPHD have hosted a number of flu clinics there.

Those wanting a fresh meal and help accessing support for their housing and health have a valuable resource in the Friday Café.

To volunteer, individuals can go to the Friday Café page on the First Church of Cambridge website and open the volunteer

page for more information. 􏰙

MASS AIM TO END QUALIFIED

www.sparechangenews.net

1 note · View note

thepensociety · 1 year

Text

FACE MASK VS. COVID 19 AGAIN

BY: XYZA JEAN TRABADO

Because of the pandemic, we learned to wear a facemask, it's been three years since we used it every day. This has become the face shield of people against the virus that we cannot see. As they say, the pandemic is the worst disease that has shaken the whole world. But because of this, many people have discovered different types of face masks, some of which are only in limited stock. We've all gone through the point where we're nervous about running out and losing our stock of face masks. Even if others use it wrongly, even if others just find a way to make their own face mask, we can all do it. There are still many people who cannot survive with face masks since it was implemented that everyone must wear a face mask when going out and shopping in public stores. Especially because of the heat, almost all of us find it difficult to breathe especially when it's crowded and there are many people, we find it difficult to get air from the outside and we find it harder to exhale because it's covered. Even though there have been various penalties for not using a face mask, there are still many who do not follow this law. So when the cases decreased in the Philippines and so that people could breathe easier, the wearing of face masks was made voluntary and most of us did not use them again, because even they were having a hard time when they were working or what they were doing was affected. And because of this, social distancing was no longer followed because they all thought or we thought we were back to normal, but more people tested positive for covid and it spread faster among people. According to the department had argued against lifting the mask mandate in late 2022, saying it was too soon to do so even if cases were down. After President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. made wearing masks in public optional, it advised their use in schools to protect children from the virus. But so that the face mask does not get infected, I prefer to wear it rather than not wearing it especially outside. We can't be complacent about the people we meet every day, we don't know if their every cough or every action they carry has a virus or they got it from someone they met before you met.

"We are not considering the return of mask mandates," Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. Vergeire nonetheless encouraged Filipinos to wear masks in crowded areas and places with poor ventilation. Many were also happy when they said that the facemask is no longer required, as long as there is social distancing and knowing what to do when outside. But many people still said to bring it back so that the cases will not spread and things will not get worse in the coming years. The health official also advised masks for senior citizens and people with comorbidities. This is also right so that even if people don't have face masks anymore, there are still people who can use face masks themselves or people who are easily infected and difficult to heal. This is also right so that no matter how they come back or have a new virus, they still have a fight and they are better protected. This week the city government of Manila earlier said it may review its policy on the use of face masks indoors and outdoors after it observed a surge in COVID-19 infections. Even if we say that we all can use a face mask, there are still many people who will wear it but don't wear it correctly, or wear it but not a surgical mask or masks that have less protection than a surgical mask. Maybe that's why it's allowed that even if everyone doesn't wear a face mask anymore because many people have complained. Complained but others still wear it. There are many people who say that they are used to using a face mask, especially me, I am also one of those who are used to going out or being awkward when someone looks at me or I can't talk to someone. Can't even breathe sometimes but I'm used to it. Used to buying at the store, used to having to wear a face mask when there are a lot of people, used to keeping a distance that for sure other people do too. It's also been three years since the pandemic trained us in things that are new to us such as social distancing, drinking alcohol for a minute. It's new but now it's what people are more used to, it's what they prefer to do. Due to the increased number of covid cases this week. The Philippines recorded 2,386 additional COVID-19 cases from April 10 to 16. The figure was 23% higher than the number of

infections logged from April 3 to 9. According to the DOH, it is feared that whatever may happen if the failure to wear face masks continues that even though it is voluntary, there are still people who do not follow the health protocols.

Nine out of 10 Filipinos approve the voluntary use of masks, but most of them continue to wear face covering outdoors, according to a survey released by Social Weather Stations last month. That's what I'm saying that even though everyone has been told or informed that the facemask is no longer required or voluntary, many people still wear facemasks because of the trauma they've been given or the fear that covid might spread or infect them with a virus they don't have. Know that it can also spread if not taken care of. Many people were scared then, many people panicked, one of them being the ones who bought a box of face masks because the stock of face masks was running out. Even though it caused fear in people, it also helped to enforce safety first or being careful when leaving the house or socializing. Positivity rate up the COVID- 19 positivity rate in the country increased to 7.6% from 6.9%. The World Health Organization recommends the proportion of COVID-19 tests coming back positive should remain below 5% to ensure the spread of the virus is under control. This is what everyone is afraid of, the resurgence of covid that we don't realize because the rest of us appear as if there is no disease waiting or no disease roaming the Philippines. When the government started agreeing, the parties started, new businesses opened. Having many concerts without social distancing happening. Maybe that's why covid increased with concerts and people who are always outside who don't wear face masks anymore. Even though it was announced, there are still many people who don't know or just ignore it because they think the Philippines is safe and there is no virus spreading. Because people don't watch much TV anymore. Most everyone is focused on cellphones or laptops because of what has been done due to the pandemic. Vergeire noted that the positivity rate should not be used as the sole indicator to evaluate the country's COVID-19 situation as it can be affected by the number of people who get tested for the virus. You should really be careful and consider the increases of covid because it is not a joke and it is difficult when there is a lockdown because medical professionals will have more difficulty. "What's most important is that our hospitals are not seeing an increase in the number of severe and critical admissions," she said. The Philippines has confirmed over four million

COVID-19 infections, including more than 66,000 deaths, since the pandemic began in early 2020 according to DOH.

0 notes