
Location: Brock Grove, Oxford
Yup, the world has been a bit topsy-turvy lately.
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Location: Brock Grove, Oxford
Yup, the world has been a bit topsy-turvy lately.
Everyone’s attention these days is rightly focused on SARS-COV-2 which causes the illness known as Covid-19. At the time of writing, there have been a total of 182,407 confirmed cases leading to 7,154 deaths, as shown in this map by the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here are 3 simple requests I have for my fellow citizens:
It is said that ‘A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes’.
That, in itself, is a lie. These days, lies travel MUCH faster than that!
I won’t even bother listing down the rumours, misconceptions, and outright fabrications that have been circulating faster than the actual virus. Suffice it is to say that if you are interested in the latest developments, then please go to official and credible sources for information. Here’s the World Health Organization website on Covid-19. And please, if you’re not sure whether something is true or not, don’t forward it to others. In fact, use this as an opportunity to educate others. Remind them that spreading unreliable information is likely to cause more harm than benefit.
I’m amazed at how quickly people have become specialists in infectious diseases worldwide. Scrolling through my Facebook feed is like speed-reading The Lancet Infectious Diseases, given the amount of ‘expertise’ on display.
Sure, it’s tempting to score political points by pointing out deficiencies in how the government is handling the crisis, but this is not the time.
Sure, it’s tempting to be sarcastic and belittle our healthcare professionals for not doing enough, but try walking in their shoes (and hazmat suits) for a while and see if you can do any better. My only regret right now is that I’m away on study leave and can’t be involved with clinical care back in Malaysia.
Last, and not least, be kind.
This is by far the MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember!
We’re all in this together. This is not something that affects only rich folks, or poor people. The virus doesn’t care what race or religion you are. It doesn’t even matter whether you are religious to begin with, for this is ultimately a test for us all.
Can we be responsible citizens?
Can we follow simple rules for the benefit of ourselves and others?
Can we be considerate to other people in this challenging situation?
My heart goes out to my fellow citizens who don’t have the luxury of getting easy access to food, money, and healthcare. Those who have to work or else they won’t get paid their daily wage. Those who cannot take leave to look after their own children. I sincerely hope you will not be forgotten.
Until then, take care everyone.
Location: Radcliffe Camera, Oxford
Comment: This was the moment I knew I had made the right choice by getting the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
I love it when it snows in Oxford. There’ s a certain tranquility to it that reminds me of the lyrics to this song called ‘Daerah Ini’ by the nasheed group ‘Algebra’.
Mereka kata kau akan sayu di daerah itu
Jawab aku selalu bersama Tuhanku
Ku pasrah padaNya sehening tiupan salju
KernaNya aku rasa jitu dan mampu melebihi manusia beribu
Daerah ini daerah tenang sekalipun ada yang kata usang
Daerah ini daerah damai sekalipun sukar untuk sampai
Daerah ini daerah merdeka sekalipun ada yang memeranginya
Biarkan saja aku di daerah ini
Location: The National Gallery, London
Detail from The Hay Wain, a painting by John Constable. Finally got to see the actual painting while on a trip to London.