![]() Just a heads-up, people! As of Oct. 21st, 2021, I am full vaccinated with 2 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. That means, in about 2 weeks time, I will be more than ready to work beyond the borders of my daily confines and tutoring locations. This is exciting news! Many people feel trapped during the summer and we are lucky to have such great medical healthcare workforce holding the frontlines for us. My mood has significantly changed after the 2nd dose. I was so happy to get the vaccine, the side effects did not exactly "bother" me at all. Going out to teach has made me more productive as well. It is safe to say that online teaching, while interesting and amusing at first, can not replace face-to-face instructing and mentoring. Teachers can not effectively teach when student-teacher relationship, like any human relationship, requires more than just audiovisual information. Human relationships require us to have the real-life connection to happen. For now, it is just healthy vigilance and face mask in crowded areas while we wait for the oral pill(s) to counter the COVID-19. Hopefully something like the Tamiflu pill which, when taken diligently for 7 days, will kill off the influence A and B virus infection. They say miracles don't happen that often. The "miracles" that do, most of the time were an outcome of hard work and patience. That's what happened in Taiwan. Thank you Taiwan, and I hope to contribute more soon.
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![]() There are many who encourage multiple streams of income. That is quite true and beneficial to having a comfortable life. However, what can we do when the fatigue sets in? The virus outbreak in May 2021 no doubt placed extra pressure on school teachers. However, those afflicted most were the cram school teachers, private tutors, and slash professionals like me. There is nothing more strenuous than having to stare at a screen from the moment one wakes up almost all the way till sleeping time. Everything is packed into the desk and laptop. With the pandemic, I added the Bluetooth speakers AND the Blue SNOWBALL microphone to my working mix. At first it was fun but as time progressed, it became less and less fun. Couple this with my Education Legion Projects and university/high school collaborations, as well as an exciting medical device startup project, and the perfect emotional storm is just brewing and swirling. I am perpetually working and feeling the rewards less and less gratifying. My summer was completely swallowed as I hid at home, worried that I would catch that dreaded virus. Nothing seemed happier than looking at the clouds. I just did not see this pandemic ending at all. It is now October and thanks for the remnant vaccine dose I luckily received near the end of July 2021, I am more relieved, but my joy has yet to return. Taiwan is temporarily back to pe-May 2021 levels but the COVID-19 variants are still lurking and waiting to make some crazy splash if we are not careful. I feel like I am on a marathon race where stamina is tested beyond measure. It is safe to say that the fatigue is mental rather than physical. I have considered taking anti-depressants but am refraining from using them because of fear of dependence. Our mental clock is strong and fragile. Once broken, it can never be like what it was before. While 1-3 of my students are now going back to face-to-face tutoring, the majority are still trapped in the online Google Meet sessions that I use so often it is like breathing every day. Let's pray the pandemic wanes soon, and that 2022 will be the final year for the virus to still stir chaos in Taiwan and the world. |
AuthorDoctor, journalist, English instructor, and social reformer Archives
May 2022
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