I am currently sitting at altitude on an airplane over Prince Edward Island about to head out over the North Atlantic. For the first time in my international travel I have opted for the additional expense of WIFI. I purchased a full flight deal for only $8 and information right now, is invaluable.
Im headed, as many know, back to Vietnam to be with my wife. I haven’t seen her in person for just over two months and it is time to go to her. But our home is close to the center of a problem that has gripped the world since a week after I left her last.
The Outbreak
The Coronavirus has been about the only thing that has lead the nightly news and publications globally for some time now. My daughter Margaret was originally in the plan to come with me, but now, I am headed to Southeast Asia alone. I understand why she has not come and I hope she does too. At 12 years old, being quarantined, dealing with diverted plans, unexpected delays all combined with a true since of uncertainty may be a bit much for a 12 year old to handle.
If, and I’m not saying it will, the world falls apart over the Coronavirus, Diễm the girls and I, will enjoy our apartment in paradise and just hangout. If it gets real rough, we’ll retreat to her hometown, the village of An Lao.
Nestled in the mountains of central Vietnam, it’s a world full of everything a small community could need. Free range chickens, lots of delicious fresh eggs, plenty of rice, fruit hanging from trees just feet away, bananas, lychee, coconut and citrus. A garden in every courtyard, hammocks, a river to fish in. It is a world of ancient beginnings with a sprinkling of modern comfort. A refrigerator, cable television and WiFi.
If the power goes out who cares, the food is so fresh it doesn’t matter. We can occupy our time strolling across the causeways over the rice paddies and visit a few neighbors. Some have requested that I don’t go, that I stay home and wait it out. To those I say, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. It is going to be ok.
I’m not worried about the Virus. For as long as I can remember it seems viruses have tried to scare me. As a child it was HIV, influenza, measles, polio and hepatitis that dominated the discussions. Polio had all but been eradicated by my youth, hepatitis was beginning to be vaccinated for and viruses like HIV were striking fear and causing xenophobia and prejudice among Americans.
Old Scares
I remember very vividly the adds and propaganda about HIV and which populations and behaviors perpetuated its spread. My youth was an age that dawned the deadliest viruses ever known. The hemorrhagic family of diseases, Marburg, Dengue fever and the mother of them all, Ebola.
As long as there’s been a human being on this earth. There has always been a virus trying to capitalize on us. Viruses are nothing new and the fear and propagation of fear are also nothing new. I am not worried about the virus. I’m worried about reactionary behavior due to the virus. All I need to do is get into Vietnam, after that Everything will be ok.
My concerns lie in wether or not my flight lands in Da Nang and I walk off the plane. I sat a week ago reading the paper as cases began to pop up all over the US. Schools in Washington state were closing for disinfecting, Florida was declaring a state of emergency, all I wanted was for the outbreak in the US to not get out of control before my plane took off. This was what I prayed for.
I know my family in the US would be ok, even if the outbreak gets “bad”, it won’t be Spanish flu like or it would have already been so. But it wouldn’t take too many cases in a state for flights to get cancelled or diverted. Two weeks ago Vietnam turned away a flight from South Korea just hours before landing.
The situation is fluid and ever changing. My two flights are 26 hours in length combined. A lot can happen in 26 hours. A lot can go wrong. I have faith in my government that it will do the best job it can, I have faith in Vietnam and have faith in God. I am on a mission to see my wife and see her baptized in the sea.
The Flight
this particular flight is not going so good. Probably the least crowded flight I’ve taken from Atlanta to Doha, but full of children. Lots of them. Don’t get me wrong I love children. But in a flight half full, it seemed a bit unnecessary for me to sit in the nursery. A stewardess noticed this immediately and without prompting from me offered to move me to a place with more space and less children as soon as we were at altitude.
I patiently settled in as the flight prepared for takeoff and began to check out the entertainment. Qatar is always prompt and smooth as taxiing and takeoff all concluded 10 minutes before our scheduled departure. There is a reason I always fly Qatar.
As the dinner cart came around I ordered the braised Barbecue beef, which was very good, and a cognac with dessert. I watched It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as mister Rogers and cried through half of dinner. All I can say after watching that movie is turn right now to whoever is closest to you and tell them you love them. You never know how many more chances you’ll get.
The Move
After dinner I moved to the last row of the airplane, it was completely empty. I again stowed my belongings and gathered all the spare blankets in my general vicinity. It was time to stretch out and try to get some rest. By now we had left North America behind and where headed towards Ireland. We still had 10 hours to go.
Across the U.K., Central Europe, Turkey, Iraq and finally into Doha. From there it would be a 3 hour limbo until climbing back into the airplane and crossing Iran and the Indian subcontinent before moving on into Southeast Asia. These flights do not get any easier. It’s wonderful to know I will see my wife soon, I miss her terribly, but now I must deal with the uncomfortable reality of trying to get any bit of rest on a trip to the other side of the world.
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