Can We Keep The Good Bits?
Sat Jun 13 2020 00:32:00 GMT+0800 (Malaysia Time)
Greetings from Bali.. now day 76.
Just when things were relaxing, it's all gone fraught again.
There is a market in the centre of Denpasar city next to the river. At street level it is a wet market (fresh fish, animals etc) but above in a warren of stalls on four levels is a wholesale craft market. Lots of small businesses and one or two large ones show off their products there. It attracts international buyers from all over the world. We have four suppliers that are based there. Last time I was there was in April, when Tomas was here. We went with masks and latex gloves because the place is cramped and stiflingly hot always. I always thought it was a place the virus would like.. and my fears unfortunately not unfounded. Yesterday a cluster of cases, 18 in total centred on this market. Now it's been closed down until further notice, the total number of cases in Denpasar has almost doubled in a week. So now I understand why so many temperature checks everywhere.
The worrying thing is Ringo was in there picking up a shipment of brass items about ten days ago. He had a slight fever last weekend - I tell him to get checked but he says ..no problem.
The mask debate never happened here. In Asia, as far as I know, nobody questioned if masks were effective or not. Very quickly a law was passed requiring everyone outside their home to wear a mask at all times. I'm sure it helped contain the virus, as in Vietnam, Thailand, Korea - masks wearing countries with low R numbers.. Now I see a report on the BBC about Germany where mask wearing was rolled out city by city, and so the effect could be quantified. And the conclusively is effective.
The news from India is very distressing, stories of poor people unable to find hospitals or doctors willing to treat anyone with suspect symptoms and many hospitals overwhelmed anyway. In some kind of crazy madness, the lockdown is being relaxed. These are terrible times. Mr Chatterjee (our man in India) continues to help people with food every day, small gifts of money were helpful. I talk to him most days, and the news is not good. To support Mr Chatterjee here. GoFundMe
But life goes on and we continue to do business in Bali. Yesterday I went with Ringo to visit our bamboo wind chime supplier high up in the mountain and then meet with a potential new supplier in Ubud.
It really is like Bali is reborn, the sky is more blue, the hedgerows more green and lush. No cars, no planes in the sky.. even the ducks seem happy in the rice terrace.
As we drive around, I'm struck by how green everything is.. we had to go to visit one of our bamboo wind chime guys in a village high on the mountain above Ubud.. it's remote, it's stunningly quiet, it's ferdent it's just beautiful. On the way, we drive through a disinfectant gate, and also see several disinfectant trucks spraying anything that moves.. only in Bali would they make the gate pretty with local cultural design.
Just a few random snaps as we drive around.. but you get the idea. Blue sky and greenness.. the world over is more like this.. and I wonder.. when this craziness will all end? And if, when it does.. can we please keep the good bits?
Meanwhile in UK..
It's very busy.. very busy.. and I don't know why really. But we are trying our best to deal with an unprecedented amount of orders under very difficult working conditions. The first priority of course is safety, and Tomas, Katka and the team are working hard to achieve this and get your orders out, I believe they are doing a great job..
Please understand we are doing our best.
Lots of new stock now arriving.. so the out of stock position will improve a bit this week.
Please stay safe.. wear a mask.. it works!
More news next week.
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