Zoom "visit"

 

HELLO OKAASAN!!!

What do you think? Was this a good choice of Zoom filter for our online visit to Okaasan's bedside this week? I waas going for a cheerful, bright vibe...

Actually we just did a No Filter start to the visit, so it was just our smiling faces and waving hands. And then used this for a few minutes to (hopefully) entertain Okaasan and the nurses.

We spent about 10 mins online with Okaasan. She was on her side in bed. She knew it was us, nodded a response and appeared to smile - looked from the screen to the nurse etc.

We noisily prattled on about stuff - as you do with the very old or young/speech incapacitated. Lots of waving and laughs and big gestures. 

Okaasan looked as well as we hoped. Good color in her face. Reactions to the visit.

What more can be said? Strange times.

Omicron is all over us here in Japan now. National new case numbers topped 70,000 yesterday. Here is in Hokkaido daily case numbers were in double digits at the start of the month, and topped 2,000 yesterday. We are going into a Sorta-but-not-quite State of Emergency, which mainly means places serving alcohol have to close early and big events are cancelled.

Next week should be the start of the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, but it's cancelled again and there are just a few statues in the central city park. Two years ago we had the event - but were hearing news about some mystery virus in China and we were happy because the big Chinese tour groups didn't come to the festival - it was slightly easier to get around.

What a strange two years!