*Yawn* What to do, what to do...

KDVS 90.3 FM, 13,000 watts of power in Davis, California

I certainly don't need to tell you that this is one very weird time we're living in. As I write this, we've been back in the U.S. now for 19 days, meaning the three of us have passed the 14-day "quarantine" period with no apparent symptoms of the Wuhan pneumonia COVID-19 virus. Unless, of course, one or all of us are asymptomatic.

Like so many others, I'm teleworking from "home", that being in an apartment building in Arlington, Virginia. We're staying in a two-bedroom unit located on the 21st floor, meaning that we have a pretty good view, at least when looking in a northerly direction (those are the spires of the Washington National Cathedral in the distance). Some of our windows also face west, meaning in theory we should be able to see some other familiar sights of Washington, D.C., but neighboring apartment buildings ensure we don't (I can just make out the top of the Washington Monument from my bedroom window):

When we first arrived in the States, I was expecting the streets to be deserted, in scenes out of The Omega Man or 28 Days Later, but there's still traffic, though of course with a lot fewer cars than when before the virus hit. Also, a lot of people can be seen outside, jogging or walking their dogs, though many are wearing masks and practicing social distancing. We're fortunate to be in an area with a couple of supermarkets within walking distance, as well as a lot of restaurants that have remained open for delivery or takeouts:

The weather has generally been good, with the occasional rainstorm blowing through:

Currently, there are 920,000 recorded virus cases in the U.S., with more than 50,000 confirmed deaths. Almost 52,000 to be inexact. Ethiopia, on the other hand, has only 117 confirmed cases with just three deaths, though the actual numbers are no doubt much higher, along with legitimate concerns about the ability of the country's health care system to handle a pandemic. Still, I wonder at times if we made the right decision to leave Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ on Authorized Departure. Perhaps I should've stayed in Ethiopia, and sent Amber and Shu-E back to Taiwan, which has been earning rare positive attention from around the world for the way that country has been handling the coronavirus.

Compared to Taiwan, the American government's response has been, well...So as not to bite the hand that's still feeding me at this moment, let's just say it could've been better, much better. There are so many reasons at this moment to feel disillusioned with this country that it's difficult to know where to start:

• Why didn't the authorities react sooner? Why aren't we seeing testing and contact tracing to the same extent as in countries like Germany and South Korea?
• Why are there anti-lockdown protests? Or to put it another way, why are there so many ignorant dumbfucks in this country? (See John Oliver if you want to know why). 
• Why is the news media wasting our time with patronizing salutes to "heroes", instead of fact-based analyses that would provide us with the information we need to make informed decisions on how to conduct ourselves during this crisis?
• Why were trillions of dollars magically conjured out of the fiscal air to prop up the stock market when for years we've been told we can't afford comprehensive public health insurance for all the residents of this country?
• And why for chrissakes is the president suggesting the injection of household disinfectants as a possible treatment for COVID-19?

Oh well, should we develop symptoms, we don't have far to go to get tested...provided we can get an appointment, that is:

Speaking of Boobus Americanus, the toilet paper shelves in the supermarkets are still bare:

So how does one kill time while in lockdown? In my case, by going for walks when the weather is cooperative. Spring is in the air...:

There are also the occasional architectural curiosities to break up the suburban monotony, such as the Glebe House:

Unlike George Costanza, I don't pretend to be an architect, but this office building strikes me as being vaguely Art Deco in design:

The current Arlington Arts Center is housed in the former Maury School, dating from 1910:

My daughter asked me if this kind of business was legal:

Though it might appear to be the scene of a horrific accident, these cars are actually used by the local fire department for training:

A song that should be the anthem for this period in history:

Like most everyone else, I want this to be over soon, but not before it's safe to begin the New Normal. In the meantime, I'll continue to telework while waiting for the word that we can return to Addis Ababa. Until then, unless you're a medical professional (and especially an epidemiologist), please stop sharing articles on social media on the workings of the coronavirus. And while you're at it, enough with the self-righteous "stay home, save lives" Facebook posts - we fucking get it by now. Stay healthy...

See you again soon, Ethiopia?

How long before I can see scenes like this again?

Tomorrow we leave on Authorized Departure for the United States (Arlington, Virginia to be exact). At this point there's no telling how long we'll be in the U.S., or when we'll be able to return to our residence in Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ. The hopeful answer is "not too long", but that's only hope being expressed. The reality is that we could be stuck in the States for a long time. Considering that the U.S. has over 265,000 cases of the COVID-19 virus compared to Ethiopia's officially minuscule 35, one might ask if we're putting ourselves in greater danger by moving ourselves to the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia). A fair question, especially when taking into account that we'll be under a statewide "stay at home" edict once we reach our temporary accommodations, meaning we'll only be allowed outside for essential shopping trips, plus forays for "brief exercise and fresh air", provided we maintain social distancing. Currently, we have a lot fewer restrictions here in Addis.

Nighttime at the Sheraton Addis

Well, as this article points out, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the actual spread of "Wuhan pneumonia" (as it's called in Taiwan!) in Ethiopia, and over the government's ability to handle a massive outbreak. I certainly wouldn't want to find myself trapped here if it ever reached the point where the authorities declared a state of emergency. Authorized Departure (which is voluntary) is preferable to Ordered Departure (which is mandatory) as it allows us to leave at a time of our choosing (at least after taking into account the reduction in commercial flights going in and out of Bole International Airport), and to arrange for somewhere suitable to stay. Hopefully, those colleagues of mine who are remaining here to continue vital work won't find themselves in such a situation.

Filwiha Mosque. The Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council has asked all mosques to close down. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church has announced similar measures

So for the foreseeable future I'll be teleworking from an apartment in the Washington, D.C. suburbs while my daughter continues her online education at wherever "home" is at the moment (her school shut its doors in the middle of March). We'll follow all the guidelines, try not to murder each other in the process and wait to see how things play out. With any luck, it'll be sooner rather than later when we can reunite with all our worldly possessions staying behind in Addis Ababa.

Hopefully...

Coping with the coronavirus, seeing the Seychelles: La Digue to Mahe to Addis Ababa, Days 7 & 8

The view from the balcony of our guesthouse, looking toward Beau Vallon

Well, we made the decision - we will be leaving Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ on Authorized Departure this Saturday, arriving Sunday morning at Dulles Airport. After spending Sunday evening in a hotel, we will be moving into an apartment in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington County, which will be our home for 60 days. We'll be entering a state (Virginia) the governor of which yesterday issued a stay-at-home order, under which we'll only be permitted to go outside for groceries (exercise and fresh air are permitted, but only by implementing strict social distancing requirements).

So why leave now? Although Addis isn't under a lockdown at present, we feel very isolated here. Amber is doing online schooling at home, and I'm only going into the office once a week. Although there are officially only 19 COVID-19 cases at present in Ethiopia, it's widely believed the actual number is much higher. The local markets are still teeming with people, and while driving last Sunday to a gas station, part of the road was closed due to many worshipers crowding the street in front of a popular church. I guess they felt they would be protected, forgetting that the same deity gave us the deadly coronavirus in the first place. It's probably only a matter of time before the Ethiopian government (which has already closed all schools and most government offices) attempts to impose stricter measures in an attempt to contain the virus.

Speaking of gas, long lines of cars can be seen leading into all the gas stations in town. And, finally, due to an ongoing road-paving project taking place right in front of our residence, it's almost impossible to go out (at least by car) during weekday mornings and afternoons. So, all things considered, we've decided to ride out the next two months, at least, back in the U.S. despite the situation continuing to get worse there.

Maybe we should have stayed in the Seychelles to wait out COVID-19? Not possible, but a very pleasant thought. Which is the only way I can think of at this moment to lead into this final blog post about our recent trip to the Indian Ocean archipelago. We had considered going out on a Friday morning on an excursion by boat that would've included tortoise-spotting and snorkeling, but the timing would've been tight for our 12:30 ferry departure from La Digue. So instead we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Villa Authentique:

After breakfast I went for a walk, and managed to see an Aldabra giant tortoise eating its breakfast on a vacant plot of land:

The ferry departed La Digue on time, and following a brief stop at the neighboring island of Praslin, reached the main island of Mahé around 14:00. We picked up a rental car at the port parking lot and drove to our final accommodation, the Ocean View Guest House in Bel Ombre, not far from where we first stayed after arriving in the Seychelles. The view from our balcony looking to the northwest (that's Silhouette Island in the distance):

After settling in, Amber and I drove to our last beach on this trip, Beau Vallon, the most famous on Mahé. It's an excellent place for a swim, though the waters were seemingly bereft of any fish:

Who's a sex machine to all the chicks? Not this guy...:

After a couple of hours in the water, Amber and I had dinner at Mahek, an Indian restaurant only meters from where we had been swimming:

Most of the dining establishments along the beach were closed, and we were two of just a handful of diners at the restaurant, the result of the Seychelles having barred travelers from the European Union after the first COVID-19 cases were detected in a pair of Seychellois who'd returned from Italy:

One last glorious sunset, taken from Mahek's outdoor patio, where we had dinner:

Shu-E had remained behind at the guesthouse. We joined her there after dinner, where I had a nightcap on the balcony:

Life moves slowly on the Seychelles, and there are only two local TV stations, one of which signed off the air around midnight (just like I remember TV stations doing when I was a kid!). The programming on that Friday evening was dominated by news of the coronavirus:

The view from behind Ocean View after breakfast on Saturday morning:

Our flight back to Addis wasn't scheduled to depart until 17:45, so after checking out of the guest house, we drove into Victoria to have a look at the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market (1840):

Though small by African standards, it was very active:

Shu-E did some spices shopping:

We walked around town after checking out the market. The National Museum of History looked interesting, housed in the former Supreme Court building (1885), but it was closed, unfortunately:

For lunch we drove out to Eden Island. Most of the shops at Eden Plaza were closed due to the virus, and only a handful of restaurants were open. We had lunch at the Tamassa Lounge and Bar:

A local hoping for a handout:

The sight of planes flying over the marina was a reminder that our time in the Seychelles was coming to an end:

So many beaches, so little time, so many islands to explore. The Seychelles are one of those destinations that at the end of a trip leaves the traveler saying to themselves "I've got to come back someday". And who knows? Perhaps one day when the world has returned to some semblance of normality...