COVID-19, waiting game
The new normal
WE have talked about “the new normal” many times.
I have heard people mention it, its on the news here in Fiji and overseas.
Life has become pretty hard for so many people in Fiji.
Loss of jobs being the main issue that cripples a family.
I have seen ‘unemployed’ families move into ‘employed’ relatives homes and add to the burden of that family.
I receive calls and messages that are long with explanations and there are the short heartbreaking ones that simply say, “sir, please help my family, I have lost my job”.
Single mothers and single fathers included in the list.
Some abandon their children with parents, because they can no longer feed them.
Our team has seen some homes where 23 people are living in a two bedroom house.
The porch is also used for sleeping. We see mattresses and linen wrapped up in the corner.
With so many people in the house, food, groceries run out very fast. Toiletries run out. There is no privacy.
Stressed people soon boil over and trouble starts. Husbands and wives argue, while children look on.
COVID-19 may be with us for a while, restrictions may remain.
Is this to be the new normal? ALLEN LOCKINGTON
Kava Place, Lautoka
No pay cuts
CIVIL servants, who will not be receiving a pay cut, should treat this as an incentive to reduce the thickness of the annual Auditor-General’s Report.
MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF Natabua, Lautoka
Civil servants
ADMITTEDLY, all civil servants are truly blessed, and extremely lucky.
No pay cuts for over a year of COVID-19 pandemic, and still counting.
Thousands of Fijians are still jobless, and do not have three proper meals each day.
When will this “drought” end? Lord, help your suffering people sooner.
RONNIE CHANG
Martintar, Nadi
The waiting game
THE Cambridge English Dictionary defines “waiting game” as a situation in which you delay taking any action, so that you can watch how a situation develops and see what it is best for you to do.
Then I looked up for its synonyms: cat-and-mouse, lying low, wait-andsee attitude, wait-and-see policy, waiting it out, watching and waiting.
The synonyms do not have a very positive connotation though politicians and those who aspire to be politicians seem to be very adept at it.
While I do not harbour such ignoble aspirations, I must confess that I have played the waiting game with my wife when I have ordered books from Amazon without letting her know.
The last time, I had the “done the deed”, as Macbeth would say, I had to wait for the opportune moment to tell her. I took her to Little India at Jack’s and asked her which saree she liked.
She gave the look that married men know so well (if they don’t, it is at their own peril) and asked, “So how many books did you order? You should know by now that I don’t accept bribes. Do I need to wear a badge to let you know?” Ouch!
So I am sincerely thankful to Julie Sutherland (FT 27/02) that she is concerned about my welfare. And I want to assure her that everything is OK – for now. But who knows what tomorrow will bring?
We’ll just have to wait and see – like our illustrious human rights director.
But Sukha Singh made an astute observation in the other day’s The Fiji Times (28/02) when he said that Mr Raj acted “faster than lightning” in making comments about Ben Padarath.
I guess the trick is in knowing when or when not to play the waiting game. ARVIND MANI
Nadi