温哥华宅家记(7)

截至温哥华当地时间3月23日下午4点30分,

加拿大BC省
确诊数2091472
死亡数2513

特鲁多今日宣布,向农场主和农产品生产者额外提供50亿加元贷款能力,以确保供给。同时再投入1.92亿加元用于疫苗研发。 

温哥华时间昨晚6点半,加拿大宣布鉴于目前的疫情形势,将不参加2020年东京奥运会,大约6小时后澳大利大也宣布弃赛。于是大家在微信上接龙,有说延期到秋季吧,有说延至明年甚至后年的。刚看到USA Today (今日美国)两小时前发布的报道,国际奥组委成员Dick Pound在接受他们独家电话采访时说,东京奥运应该不会取消,但很可能延期至2021年。

比起全人类共同的利益,一国经济显然不该与之抗衡,更何况以今日各国经济文化的交融程度,队友垮了,谁也无法独秀。

比尔盖兹就新冠病毒分享了14条他的个人想法(英文原文见文末*),其中第一条就是:它提醒我们,无论我们的文化,宗教,职业,财务状况或名声如何,我们都是平等的。这种疾病平等地对待我们所有人,也许我们也应该这样平等地对待彼此。如果你不相信我,请去问一下汤姆·汉克斯(Tom Hanks,之前在澳洲被确诊阳性后隔离)。

这大概代表了一类常规的看法,也是比较容易被接受的普世价值。用在东京奥运会这件事上,就可以理解有人宣布退赛,而比赛极有可能延期。 

但我总觉得这话在什么地方还存在例外。理论上是对的,实际操作层面可能有点不一样。我觉得盖茨先生所指的可能仍在欧美,他看到了德艺双馨的汤姆汉克斯、多明戈,身为政要的特鲁多太太、默克尔和曾经不可一世的韦恩斯坦纷纷被确诊。先不说网上有人质疑为什么这么多美国人排着队也没被检测而韦恩斯坦就被检测了(这算是人类没有平等地对待彼此吧)。我觉得盖茨先生可能还没察觉到(或者察觉了但没来得及说),在这世界上有一部分地区,真是鲜有知名人士被确诊的情况。是这些地区知名人士的抵抗力特别强?还是卫生习惯好到爆?或是确诊了也没好意思公布以免占用公共媒体资源?

昨天看到好友方婷转的五岳散人的一段感慨,我觉得多少揭示了一部分原因。他说,“就是有人能做到让自己与当时的雾霾同处一个城市但相互隔离的程度”。所以,就连公平公正无差别对待的病毒都冲不进那个圈子。

咳咳,说回温哥华。在刚过去的周末,温哥华有关新冠的新闻真是闹心。 

天气放晴转暖,大家控制不住踏春的脚步,纷纷走出家门大胆透气。有媒体发布了周末温哥华市中心 English Bay(英吉利湾)海滩上的盛况。群众们无视公园关闭,50人以上集会的禁令,在海滩上喝酒打球、赏樱观潮,大家亲密地聚在一起,不分性别、国籍、文化、宗教、职业和财务背景,没有口罩,没有社交距离,完全大融合。今早的新闻里,温哥华市长怒斥:It is not a joke. People are dying.(这不是开玩笑,有人因此而死)。而特鲁多也在今天的直播中,一改温婉,告诫心痒脚痒的人们,“Listening is your duty and staying home is your way to serve.”(听从是职责,宅家就是服务大家)。温哥华连夜在各公园贴出警示,并拆除了部分海滩上供人休息用的木桩,同时宣布将进一步细化罚款措施。

大温地区还有一家人,不顾公园关闭的禁令,周末两天在某公园作为无证摊贩出售口罩。看新闻里的配图,感觉他们备货很充足,带着好几大纸箱的外科口罩,在公园搭了个桌子,桌上有钱箱一个,真是有备而来。由于没有营业执照及违反公园禁令,被市政府处以罚款。英文媒体报道中一片批评之声,虽然本着政治正确的原则,报道均未透露这家人的族裔,但明确了口罩是从中国运来的。 

如果真需要口罩,目前还是能从正规渠道买到。马爸爸家在温哥华本地仓库有现货,上某宝现在都可以下单。其实我觉得如果不用常出门,家里口罩也不用囤太多,自己够用就好,如果真的囤了很多,buyandsell.gc.ca 有政府公开求购的信息,如有余力捐赠,岂不更好。还是把要紧的资源留给医护人员、病患,或其他更有需要的人吧。

*比尔盖茨公开信

From Bill. Gates:

This is what I believe:

Subject: What is the Corona/ Covid-19 Virus Really Teaching us?

I’m a strong believer that there is a spiritual purpose behind everything that happens, whether that is what we perceive as being good or being bad.

As I meditate upon this, I want to share with you what I feel the Corona/ Covid-19 virus is really doing to us:

1) It is reminding us that we are all equal, regardless of our culture, religion, occupation, financial situation or how famous we are. This disease treats us all equally, perhaps we should too. If you don’t believe me, just ask Tom Hanks.

2) It is reminding us that we are all connected and something that affects one person has an effect on another. It is reminding us that the false borders that we have put up have little value as this virus does not need a passport. It is reminding us, by oppressing us for a short time, of those in this world whose whole life is spent in oppression.

3) It is reminding us of how precious our health is and how we have moved to neglect it through eating nutrient poor manufactured food and drinking water that is contaminated with chemicals upon chemicals. If we don’t look after our health, we will, of course, get sick.

4) It is reminding us of the shortness of life and of what is most important for us to do, which is to help each other, especially those who are old or sick. Our purpose is not to buy toilet rolls.

5) It is reminding us of how materialistic our society has become and how, when in times of difficulty, we remember that it’s the essentials that we need (food, water, medicine) as opposed to the luxuries that we sometimes unnecessarily give value to.

6) It is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how much we have neglected this. It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our home and to strengthen our family unit.

7) It is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do. Our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and tobe of benefit to one another.

8) It is reminding us to keep our egos in check. It is reminding us that no matter how great we think we are or how great others think we are, a virus can bring our world to a standstill.

9) It is reminding us that the power of free will is in our hands. We can choose to cooperate and help each other, to share, to give, to help and to support each other or we can choose to be selfish, to hoard, to look after only our self. Indeed, it is difficulties that bring out our true colors.

10) It is reminding us that we can be patient, or we can panic. We can either understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass, or we can panic and see it as the end of the world and, consequently, cause ourselves more harm than good.

11) It is reminding us that this can either be an end or a new beginning. This can be a time of reflection and understanding, where we learn from our mistakes, or it can be the start of a cycle which will continue until we finally learn the lesson we are meant to.

12) It is reminding us that this Earth is sick. It is reminding us that we need to look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which toilet rolls are disappearing off of shelves. We are sick because our home is sick. 

13) It is reminding us that after every difficulty, there is always ease. Life is cyclical, and this is just a phase in this great cycle. We do not need to panic; this too shall pass.

14) Whereas many see the Corona/ Covid-19 virus as a great disaster, I prefer to see it as a *great corrector*

It is sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten and it is up to us if we will learn them or not.

校友阿如 杂乱成章

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