Wednesday, April 29, 2009

In the ghost town


As probably everyone knows by now, Mexico is suffering from swine influenza epidemic. I have been well and so everyone I know, so you don't have to worry about me. In the worst case scenario, there's a hospital two blocks from my house. And if someone heard about the earthquake (last Monday), nothing happened either. I felt how the house moved, but it didn't scare me or anything. It's always just very strange to feel how the Earth moves. But yes, it felt like "oh great, just what we needed, a quake, as if the influenza wasn't enough"...)

The epidemic is scary, but I think there is no reason to panic, we just need to be careful. There are lots of hysterical people now, buying tons of food from the grocery store and looking at everybody as a potencial source of infection. (Well, everybody is a potencial source, but you should just see the look in their eyes!) And on the other hand, there are still people who are sure this is all a huge conspiracy (of the Government, of the USA... and probably there are other theories too). Then there are also people who think they are not going to get the flu because they've never got ill before, so why worry... I have to say that of these groups, I prefer the hysterical ones. At least they take care of themselves, even if excessively, which helps others too. Happily, most of the people seem to be careful but reasonable.

After the epidemic was announced late last Thursday, I have mainly stayed home or at boyfriend's house. I'm glad that I can write my thesis home, as the University is closed at least until the next week. Today I had to go to the bank and the supermarket, and the city really seems abandoned. There are lot less people on the streets, and all the bars, restaurants, cafés, movie theatres and schools are closed. It was strange... But I have to admit that it was kind of nice to go out after four days, even using the uncorfortable surgical mask. It was nice to feel the sun and the wind. Staying inside all the time is really boring, even if you know it's good for you.

5 comments:

Jaana said...

Mulla on käynyt useampaankin kertaan mielessä, että miten siellä voidaan. Hienoa kuulla, että kaikki on hyvin ainakin teidän osalta :) Nyt tuo tauti on ilmeisesti ehtinyt Suomeenkin, Romanian tilanteesta en tiedä..

Jonna said...

Noita teorioita on kuultu taallakin. Myos taivaallinen kirous on yksi selitys asialle. MIna olen toissa kiertanyt osastoja ja jakanut tietoa mutta esim ihan vain se kasien pesu tuottaa kauheasti vaikeuksia ja maskin kaytto viela enemman. Taalla luullaan etta kun se kerran on DFssa niin ei se tanne asti tule...hah

purple-power said...

So glad to see you're back and that you are fine and not sick with the flu. You are indeed lucky that you can work on your thesis at home. Good luck - and keep plugging! And let us know that you are OK

ColibriDreams said...

Jaana: Suomen tapaukset taisivat olla vääriä hälytyksiä. Toivottavasti tauti ei leviä enempää, yksittäisiä tapauksiahan nyt monessa maassa.

Jonna: Juu'u, tuo maskin käyttö näyttää olevan ihan ylivoimaista joillekin. Joka kerran, kun näkee kuvia, joissa ihmisillä on suojaimet naamalla, vähintään yhdellä on se väärin.

Purple-power: Thank you! I know I'm lucky to be able to work at home. But somehow knowing that I can't go out makes me desperate and it's more difficult to concentrate on the thesis.

Paulina said...

En tiennytkään että kirjotat jo tesistä.. Mitä aiot tehdä opiskelujen loputtua? Jäätkö Meksikoon? Opiskeletko muuten CUssa?