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Week 18 - Saturday in Western Australia offers joy and pain in equal measure for Simon

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy

Simon - Perth, Western Australia


Hi everyone, I hope you are all safe and well.

 

 It’s approaching the end of winter here in Australia and where we live it’s been a pretty cold one. As usual we are all reading about our shock weather events, everything from rampaging bushfires in summer to floods, droughts, storms, snow, cyclones and about everything in between.

 

 This year it’s obviously a bit different as we are all reading about and dealing with this pandemic. As I mentioned last time it is still a case of ‘them’ and ‘us’. Most states and territories have an absolute minimal or no new cases daily. We are still not at our Phase 5 reopening here in WA but that is because of the situation over East.

 

 New South Wales are getting a fair few cases every day but the main event is happening in Victoria, specifically Melbourne. A couple of months ago they, like us, were cruising along thinking how well we were all managing and then there was an explosion of new cases. Often referred to as the ‘Second Wave’, one of my friends, who is a doctor, has assured me that this is in fact the ‘First Wave’.

 

 For the last few weeks they have had daily increases of around 300 to 700 every day. Not horrific figures on a global scale but bad for us. This has resulted in an unprecedented response from State and Federal Governments. Borders are still closed but now masks are mandatory outside, there is an 8pm to 5am curfew and only essential workers and carers are allowed to be out and about. Who knows if these measures will be effective but most people seem to realize it has to happen.

My mate was all set for a visit

 Meanwhile life goes on in the Perth Hills and we very rarely even see one new case a day. I think back to this time last year. My best friend and I were making plans for him and his wife visiting us from Texas. It’s been seven years since we saw them, and seventeen years before that! That trip should have been about six weeks ago but did not happen for obvious reasons. Now we start to plan for next year.

 

 Also this time last year we were arranging for my Dad to fly out from the UK for his annual Christmas visit. Again, that’s not happening this year. He is 79 and not seeing him this year is a big deal for me. We are not even sure he will be over next year and the thought that lurks in the back of my mind is that I might not see him again.

 

 Other than that life this year on a daily basis is much the same as last. We watch and listen to the news, both overseas and here, and wonder how bad it will get and if we have a road out of this situation.

I'm hoping we'll see my dad again

 So this year we will be taking a holiday here, just the four of us. We are getting a new car next week and will likely hire a caravan for a week and head down South to visit a few places next month.

 

 Yesterday was our sons twelfth birthday and tonight he has a sleepover party with three of his friends so we will be flat out with that.

 

 I welcome the distraction to be honest, my Mother in law is very sick and may go at any time and my friend’s wife has a very limited amount of time left with double brain cancers.

 

 I know we are not badly off in the Grand Scheme Of Things but at the end of the day I am glad that my family is safe and well and we are where we are. I still want to see my Dad and my mate though… 

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