Pandemonium

I came out of class with Benjamin (aged 11) this afternoon and the first thing his mother said to me was "Do you use masks?" Honestly, I was a bit confused. I was thinking maybe that I had aged dramatically in a week and she could see the fine lines starting to appear around my eyes. Can't be I thought. I'd just spend the weekend with my Japanese friend Emi and she said that I haven't changed since the last time she saw me which was four years ago. Although, last week when I went to buy night time moisturiser the sales lady commented that my skin was dry around my eyes, but that's only because I had been rubbing them due to lack of sleep. Tell me something I don't already know. I didn't buy eye cream.

So, back to the masks. I must have worn puzzlement on my face and then B's mother covered her face with her hand and said face masks. Oh! I get it swine flu. B's mother had walked around Wan Chai in search of face masks and she said all the dispensaries were out of stock. I suggested maybe she should go to the convenience stores near hospitals to buy them or buy them online. She said now they may be very expensive and then left perhaps disappointed that I did not have a box of face masks stored under my desk somewhere.

Our marketing person then suggested that we should have a bottle of alcohol-based disinfectant soap at reception for potential virus carrying students. Come to think of it, we should make it compulsory for all students to bring their own masks and wear them in class and if they don't have one we can sell them one for $10. I'm waiting for my shipment of masks from my mother. There is always a money making scheme in there somewhere.

I went out for a walk before my class on a mission to buy soap. I went to the first shop - sold out. They rang around for me and told me that all shops in the area were out of soap. You've got to be joking! I walkd across the road to another place and there were two bottles left on the shelf. A guy directed me upstairs after I enquired about other brands. "Sold out", said the woman. Are people in Hong Kong pessimistic or just cautious? I couldn't believe it. There were no reported cases as I far as I knew from reading the paper in the afternoon. I went back to school and read the paper. No wonder. The WHO had raised the pandemic alert level from 3 to 4. On the ferry ride home, I read the SCMP - front page news and only 6 pages dedicated to the swine flu. I read all the articles telling people not to panic, further economic downturn for Hong Kong, comparisons with the Sars outbreak and people stocking up on alcoholic wipes, masks and suggestions that pork should not be eaten. I had BBQ pork with rice for lunch. The Israelis want the swine flu to be renamed the "Mexican Flu" because of obivious sacrilegious reasons. I personally think they should rename it "Babe Flu". I like pigs.

Benefits of a swine flu outbreak in HK - I should get at least two weeks off from work. All schools must close. Apparently that was what happend from the Sars outbreak.
I can't think of any negatives. I barely catch a cold in winter and to die from the swine flu just as summer approaches, it would indeed be a pity.

I didn't win the Mark 6 tonight. Four more chances.