2021: A Long Awaited New Year!

 The year 2020 is finally and thankfully past. A year ago I started reading news about this mystery virus in China. At first we were told that it was linked to a wet market in Wuhan, and that it did not spread easily. But then, ... the rest is a global story. 


It's also a local story. Here in Macau, after making it through the frightful and locked-down months of February and March, by April things looked much better. And then when it was clear that the virus was 
under control, as long as the borders were kept secure, life for the most part resumed its normal rhythms. Apart from the habit of mask-wearing, we could do almost all the things that we used to enjoy--shopping, going out to restaurants, meeting with friends, and even having church services. Then the university made the decision to begin in-class instruction in September. We met without fear of infection, although I found that mask-wearing meant that it was hard for me to recognize the individual identities of my 60 plus students.

On the other hand, life is still not "normal" for us in Macau. We cannot easily travel outside of our borders. Nor is it easy for people to travel from outside and come here. This is very bad for Macau's economy, which is heavily dependent upon tourists who come to spend money at the casinos, hotels, and shops. Many of our friends who were in Macau on contracts as "foreign skilled labor" have been let go, and had to leave Macau. Other "local" friends have had their working hours and pay reduced. All of us look forward to the day when the borders open, allowing travel in both directions. And we are grateful that we live in a place that is comparatively well-managed, especially in contrast with the other and much bigger SAR--Hong Kong. While we might complain, we look at the world outside and with gratitude exclaim that it is much better here than in most other parts of the world.

As we have finally made it through the year 2020, I wish all of you a much safer, healthier, and prosperous 2021. May you be vaccinated soon. And may you find love, blessing, and happiness in ways big and small in this new year.

Todd






 


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