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The Olympics and the Pandemic

Twinkling with Ninfa R. Leonardia

It was quite a big news in the United States that their incoming president, Joe Biden, will submit himself to vaccination next week. Maybe that will ease the fears of his people about the effectivity or the dangers of the new drug. As far as I have read or seen from the news, there are two vaccines now ready for the American people, the Pfizer one and the Moderna. So people have a choice which one they will submit to. But I noted that their vice president has  already been vaccinated, or was due to undergo it yesterday. Is his reaction the cue for Biden to submit also?

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But Biden is a lucky man, indeed. His opponents have now focused on some scandal, his son had earlier been involved with. How come they did not notice that, or bring it up during election time? Exposing that now, after he has won, may disturb him a bit, but would have made a great difference had it been revealed before the election. Because whether it is true or not, the doubts could have affected his father’s votes. Lucky Joe, indeed. Now his only problem, which is really no big deal at all, are the rantings of Donald Trump who  missed his chance for reelection.

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It is so sad to think about the damage and the problems, as well as the disruptions of so many activities that this pandemic has brought upon us. And among them is one event that sports lovers all throughout the world have been looking forward to, and that is the Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Tokyo this year. Among those athletes all over the world were hoping to see perform is the famous Michael Phelps, who keep a record of having won 23 gold medals in various Olympic games. They are supposed to be held in Tokyo July 28 to August 1, but have been moved to 2021, or next year.

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But this Olympic Games, I hear, will be facing a problem that has been discovered lately, and that is the alleged doping of athletes! Now, that should be a deadly sin, because these sports people are supposed to be the model for the young to concentrate on sports rather than on vices that could spoil, not only their health, but also their mental attitudes. That is why it has been announced that the International Olympics Committee is now concentrating on the fight against drugs, or doping, and has made this a priority for the games, when they will be held.

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Don’t you sometimes wonder why we are experiencing so many disturbances in the weather lately? Remember the floods in Luzon where people had to wade in neck-deep dirty floodwaters? Then the earthquakes that shook other provinces. Other countries also had their own problems, like the Fiji islands that was hit by a cyclone where two were killed. But such nature-based problems were not the only ones to trouble our lifetimes. At the moment, the world or many parts of it have been hit by the new virus that has killed people by the thousands, even in the most advanced countries.

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Hope is shining a bit now with the introduction of the vaccines produced by medical laboratories, but these are not yet accessible to everyone. I hear our country is ready to purchase one, but the amount cited does not seem enough for the entire population. Who will be prioritized  to take it, then? But, as the saying goes, “Hope springs eternal”, so that must have been in the minds of those who discovered the vaccines for such killers as smallpox and other contagious and deadly diseases.

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But it is shocking to hear that the big state of California – where I think a lot, or most of our fellow Filipinos have migrated to, is  one of the hardest hit by the COVID in the U.S. In one day last week, 41,081 cases were discovered, and the problem was compounded by a storm warning that caused all flights to be cancelled. And yet, we hear of many LSIs, or Locally Stranded Individuals, still arriving, or hoping to be accommodated in our city. Oh I am referring of course, to those who are from other cities and towns in the province, who, naturally, have a right to come home!

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Ah, pleasant and interesting things still keep happening despite this pandemic that has terrified most of our people. Last week, I came upon the program on TV of RJ  that is staged in his bistro attended mostly by couples who are music lovers, and good dancers, too. Aside from RJ himself performing, often his guests volunteer to perform, and also entertain customers. But that one night, Jose Mari Chan came around, and Oh, how pleased RJ’s customers and fans were. Well we all know how accommodating Jose Mari is, so he really kept his listeners very happy, especially when he sang his own composition about “Christmas in our Hearts”! Jose Mari is a truly gifted performer, so humble and friendly and very talented, too. I am sure RJ’s customers are looking forward to another visit from him.*

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