When International News Becomes Personal

 I have been fortunate enough to have visited two of the great cities of the world; viz Melbourne, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.

In Melbourne I visited my friends Andrew and Felicity McGowan.  I remember a lively, buzzing City, filled with energy and vitality.

In Beirut I was with my friends Hani and Rula Asfour;  at a time when Beirut was recovering from the disastrous civil war.  It was safe to be in downtown, where Rula and I had coffee at an al fresco coffee shop, and where Hani and  visited Rula's father in the Hospital. 


Now both cities are all but dystopian.


Melbourne because of what seems to be a savage renewal of COVID 19 infections. The City is deadly quiet.  The energy has been sucked out of the air. The lock down is severe.

Beirut because of that massive (and probably preventable)
explosion.

We all know the headlines.   It seems to be a wee bit more personal for me.


Melbourne's great Queen Victoria Market  (1)  


Melbourne's great Queen Victoria Market (2)  I shopped for fish and fruit there.

-----------------------------------

Beirut  (once called the Paris of the East), before and after the explosion.



It will take a long time, but Melbourne will recover.  I am not so sure about  Beirut.

But then again  "what does recover mean?"  not just for Melbourne and Beirut; but for all our communities post COVID 19.

The world community is facing new and uncharted waters.  I betcha that the plutocrats and oligarchs will come out on top.


It's always the poor what suffers.

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