An update on the lockdown in Hawaii.
Things are unnervingly yet pleasantly quiet around here. Hard to tell where the city ends and the country begins as there is nearly an imperceptible change in traffic.
People (some) are driving aggressively, due to the fact that there is so much more space on the roads. Whereas we used to be constrained due to there not being much space between cars now there is plenty of space.
You can see row after row of idled rental cars near the airport runway, attesting to the amount of cars that used to be on the roads.
Air traffic has for the most part ceased entirely, even the inter-island flights have been cut back. The usual sight of cued-up mainland flights tailing each other at a distance to land is not to be seen anymore, they swooping in low and rocking side to side to counteract the trade winds.
Beach parks and golf courses have been ordered closed. No golfers ply the links but outside of the county parks there are many beachgoers, locals idled by being unable to go to work are hanging out on the sand or going surfing. The usual sight of large family groups throwing parties on the grass is not there.
Bicyclists and joggers are out and about, solo activities are okay. Just keep your social distance.
I suppose things are quiet like this everywhere but the most telling thing about the scene here on the islands is the utter lack of activity around the major resorts. I don't think the locals have ever seen the island devoid of tourists. There are still a smattering of tourists here, leftovers, holdouts from before the ‘14 days upon arrival quarantine’ went into effect, but the majority bugged out as of Wednesday, basically bailing because the major resorts decided to shut down rather than try and stay open, there being nothing much the tourists could still do by that time anyway. The resort's pool areas were by then closed, as were the bars and restaurants, all the non-essential businesses around the resorts were shut down, and tour operations were closed so the only thing left was to hang out in your room or go to the beach but if you did, you had to keep your distance from others and not gather in groups.
No poke’, no musubi, no poi.
Jodie Morgan, Unsplash.com
So, in the absence of the usual crowds of tourists in major resort area Kaanapali, there was nothing but an eerie silence to be heard at high noon on Saturday, the busiest day of the week! Security guards were manning the entrances to the shut-down resorts, their entrances blocked by traffic cones and other barriers.
Work-wise, I witnessed groups of housekeepers being instructed on how to fill out unemployment forms at one resort and MASH unit bugging out activity taking place at others. The major resorts sent most of their employees home as of Tuesday while certain key employees were charged with instituting hastily construed resort shutdown procedures; those being getting rid of all of the trash, emptying the kitchens of foodstuffs, clearing exterior areas of objects that might be damaged by long term exposure to sun and rain, and other such tasks. Many of these employees were wearing masks and avoiding being in proximity to each other for long. Never seen anything like it.
Meanwhile, outside, the days have been pleasant and benign, as if nothing different is happening, which only adds to this surreal experience.
Added to that, this is just the start of what could be at least a month of isolation. Nobody knows when the call will be given to reassemble and restart the economy here as that is solely up to the governor and the public health experts to decide.
Cars are piling up outside some houses, testament to the number of residents within, and grocery shopping is a quick in and out multi-week risk taken by most residents. The Walmart and Target stores, as well as Costco, are still open, which makes me wonder about their need to be open so that people can source groceries, those places being huge boxed in environments, and the island buses are still running, because people have to get around, so it's not total containment around here. The general consensus is that these are acceptable tradeoffs as the dropping of the mainland flights has soothed the local’s nerves tremendously.
Many people, cabin fever affected, are choosing to ply the island's many narrow two lane roads on bicycle and foot, which I would not choose to do. Some are even pushing baby strollers along these road's bumpy and narrow shoulders.
No boats save personal ones are to be seen on the water. Closer in, paddleboarders and kayakers can be seen. The whales, which I saw everywhere for the last month and a half, have suddenly departed, just like the tourists.
April is going to be a very interesting month. I will probably be unemployed soon, my place of business has been slowly but surely winding down and yesterday there was not enough business left to keep the facility running. Upon leaving the plant, and looking out at the empty employee parking lot where my lone car sat, I was reminded yet again that this crisis wasn’t a weird dream. It was really happening.
The news says that we haven't peaked in the USA, we haven't yet 'flattened the curve'. I don't think that time can be afar off, what with all the Sheltering In Place going on.
Not much I can do about that 'cept continue to do what I've been doing. In order to keep on with the business of living and forget or push aside the media's constant fear refrains I've got home projects to do. Got a whole list of fun things that I haven't had time for and I guess that goes for everybody around me in my quiet neighborhood. We haven't had time for art, music, reading, gaming, or what have you for like forever and we're all busy catching up.
Lots of people are rather enjoying the idea of receiving a month or so of unemployment and then returning to work refreshed and renewed. Hope it plays out that way. Hope everybody keeps their jobs when things ramp up again, and they will, but as to how the new world will look is anybody's guess. This health event has been something that demands we pay attention to it. There are lots of theories as to why it is occurring and what the greater meaning of it is concerning society and the world. I don't know if there is a singular meaning or multiple ones but I do know this: We're in this until we're not!
Those that think have plenty of time to think about it.
Those that don't have plenty of time to be distracted.
Guess that's it for now.
(…okay, I’ll say it…)
“Stay Safe!”