Thank you, Asia "India on my Heart" (28 days until Green Bay)

India is in the news these days because of how hard hit they have been with Covid-19.  The growth of cases has been exponential and deadly.  April 2, 2021 there were 89,129 new cases reported. May 2 there were 368,060 new cases reported in one day.  Having travelled to Mumbai and volunteered for two consecutive years in Kolkata, and knowing people who live in Bangalore right now, my heart is very much with India as they are suffering horribly.

How fitting then, to share with you some pictures from my first trip to Kolkata in 2018.  At the time I was with the Interim Group from HKIS called "Children of Kolkata."  Mostly we were volunteering to work with NGO's who help extremely vulnerable and impoverished populations.  But we also were tourists for a bit, seeing temples, taking a ferry on the Ganges, and taking a walk-about of the local area where our hotel was - its markets and street vendors.  You will see poverty here, but also beauty and beautiful people.  

Please keep India in your hearts and prayers.

Walking through the local street market

Daily market in our neighborhood.

A temple we visited. 

From the water

Beauty at sunset

On the Ganges - ferry to the temple

A lovely passenger on the ferry

Our students preparing for dinner

One of many many old, yellow taxis. 

A street vendor

Locals feeding the dogs

Architecture

Rickshaws and a man bathing

In line for amazing milk-tea.

Photo Credit: Dong L.

(Photo Credit: Dong L.)

Mohin and Brenda (Photo Credit Dong L.)

Chickens for sale (Photo Credit: Dong L.)

Rickshaws (Photo Credit: Dong L.)

All photos and videos by © Brenda Brayko unless otherwise noted.  All rights reserved.

Thank you, Asia. "Handling Covid-19" (76 days until Wisconsin)

March 16, 2021

Hong Kong is one of the strictest places to be in the world right now, as far as Covid-19 measures are concerned.  While at times frustrating and inconvenient, by and large I am very grateful for living in Hong Kong during this pandemic.  Yes, our restrictions and self-isolation (and run on toilet paper) started about six weeks earlier than that of the US, but here nothing was politicized.  

I am grateful for the memory of SARS kicking in here; it meant that over 48 hours everyone (except us expats) went from few masks to all masks just. like. that.  Conscious awareness of community needs and greater good meant that being compliant with social distancing and government measures just happened.  Yes, people complained - but they did it.  

Yes, we have had long stretches of school online.  We have had no beaches available since a few weeks into last summer.  We have had almost all forms of recreation closed as well as no dining after 6 pm and no bars open for months and months.  And yes, even now, any resident returning to Hong Kong must self-isolate in government-selected hotel for THREE WEEKS.  But, we also have had .0001 percent of the population get infected and fewer than 200 deaths in the 13 months Covid has been raging in Asia and worldwide (population 7.5 million).

And today I got my first "jab," as the Brits say.  In three weeks I will return for the second.  I got in pretty early in the vaccination process because I am a teacher and they prioritized us quite early.  Thank you, Hong Kong.