Coronavirus, Masks and Joe Biden’s eyes,

Greetings.     “Coronavirus, Masks and Joe Biden’s Eyes,” by Gabriel C Banda, is from our vaults of writing, done October 2020.

Please read and share.

Thank You.

GCB, Lusaka.

Coronavirus, Masks and Joe Biden’s Eyes

By

Gabriel C Banda

SOME weeks ago, in September 2020, I realised that if you looked into Joe Biden’s eyes, you found goodwill and sincerity in there. His appears a spirit seeking the path of righteousness.

This year, because of the face-masks-on to prevent Coronavirus-2019 infection, we have been enabled to have more contact with the eyes of others. From the eyes, and through the eyes, the soul reaches out.

                                 Various Reasons

Masks are worn by a wide range of persons for various reasons. Some masks cover more than others do. Masks of various proportions can limit the viewer or observer from fully knowing the face and expressions of the wearer.

Persons from the criminal fraternity have masks so that they are not identified by victims and the police.

In performing arts, clowns use masks. Dancers and artists in many parts of the world use masks so they are not personally identifiable. Full masks of the dancer prevent the identity of the dancer being known, thus giving freedom to the dancer to do much. In some cases, where they need to speak or sing, the dancer in Africa will also mask their voice so that they are not identifiable.

The welder uses some mask to protect their eyes from harm from excessive light of a particular kind. In the medical and health field, masks are used to prevent infection.

And face masks are worn by medical staff and a few other persons that have entered risky areas. But the Coronavirus-2019, being a pandemic, hugely threatens all our areas worldwide and compels us to use face masks. 

                                          Sincerity

In Joe Biden’s eyes, we reach some sincerity. He seems to believe in what he says and says what is in line with ideal principles. Observers can say Joe Biden is overall aligned towards honesty, honour, and goodwill.  His eyes are gentle and friendly.

You can feel at home, relaxed, with his presence. You are not on guard thinking he might insult you or attack you in other ways. He seems a person of honour. Biden’s eyes do not exhibit the fire and fury of some persons’.

Even now, we can note from video of decades ago how a younger Senator Joe Biden spoke very passionately, and with sincerity and humanity, against the racist Apartheid South Africa regime.

And above her courage, assertiveness, and perhaps sometimes some toughness on public issues, in the eyes of Senator Kamala Harris we find some sparkle of delight of a soul. In her eyes is found friendliness. Kamala Harris is a spirit reaching out in gladness and union with others.

                                  Spirits on Fire

Now, there are persons in politics, business, and various fields of life whose eyes appear to be on the alert and sizing down those persons they meet.   

They have fire in their bodies. They are spirits on fire. What they touch, they try to burn.

                                     When No Mask

When some persons have no masks, it helps them. It helps to reduce the focus on their eyes. The observer is seeing a large part of the face. There are many features that the observer will pay attention to.

The person may even have some make-up, which is some form of masking, and the observer will be made to focus on those, not the eyes.

But when they have some face mask on, their eyes are in focus. The state of their spirits is easier to see. The fire in their spirit is more easily seen through the eyes.

Because of this, it is also understandable why some persons do not want to have face masks on against Coronavirus-2019. Face masks reveal their eyes and spirits. Yet, there are still others that avoid face masks because the persons already have many masks to shield the person’s real character.

Some persons have on them some fake fronts to shield themselves from their real selves. These fronts are some form of masks. Some persons may have one or two masks within them while others have many masks.

                                      Masks Within Mask—–

Wearing a medical face mask will increase the masks they are wearing. For that reason, as the masks may be too many, some persons will avoid wearing the anti-Coronavirus-2019 mask. 

Also, the persons may not want some medical mask on because the masks within them do not want to be blocked by other masks on the body. The furious masks within want to be the dominant mask and not that of the medical system.

They feel suffocated by the one anti-Covid mask. The anti-Covid mask may feel like an extra mask. Besides that, the anti-Covid mask on the face of their body makes observers focus on their eyes, which they want to avoid. For in those eyes may be fire and hatred coming from their restless spirits.

So folks, some persons already have some vicious masks within them. Some persons may struggle with having masks on because the persons wear make-up, which to some extent may be some form of masking the self.

                                 Not Limited to Eyes

Of course, expressions of the spirit are not limited to eyes. For one aspect, in persons that have challenges with their eyes, such as in disability through blindness and other limitations, there are still expressions we have not learnt to detect and understand. 

Many who have visual disability have other expressions that reach out to other persons. They become very sensitive in using other aspects of sensing that others with better sight may not be using much.

In the lips of one with visual disability can be found one way the soul reaches out and communes with others.

Consider the joy that comes from singer and music artist Stevie Wonder’s smile as he speaks, sings, or is listening. Stevie Wonder’s soul reaches others through his smile, words, and singing.

Ray Charles was similarly pleasing and uplifting. In Zambia, we had joyful music stars P K Chishala, Spokes Chola, and Lazarus Tembo. You still encounter others performing in the street, with joy Many persons with visual limitations come to others through such and other ways.

                           Air Force One stair rails

*Masks show us a lot through eyes and the state of the spirit within a person. Joe Biden has shown sincerity in acting against Coronavirus-2019 by having a face mask on and encouraging followers and the public to practically act against Coronavirus-2019 and its dangers.

I am just concerned that sometimes, like other persons, my Big Man Joe Biden has not worn the mask securely fitting. He ends up touching it to make it align.

We will encourage that he must be careful with his hands, which will need sanitising, because touching the mask may expose the hands to virus the mask has blocked.

At other times, Joe Biden and persons like Donald Trump need to be careful about touching the rails of the stairs of aircraft, Air Force One for Trump, they are boarding. From where I am in Lusaka, Zambia, I sometimes observe Donald Trump touch the stair rails as support and pillar when going up to board the aircraft. That endangers him and others around him. I want him to train himself and avoid doing that. Just as we can train ourselves not to insult others, we can train ourselves to be careful on Coronavirus-2019.

And I understand that in recent months, Dr Chris Annear, our brother who is an anthropologist teaching in the United States, featured in Time Magazine with other academics commenting on some other aspects of Coronavirus-2019 and masks.

But, for now, the anti-Coronavirus face mask helps us to further appreciate the sincerity and dignity held in Joe Biden’s eyes.

                        *                   *                 *

GCB, October 2020, LUSAKA.

Coronavirus: Why We Sit Next to the Taxi Driver, by Gabriel C Banda

 

 

 

 

“Coronavirus: Why We Sit Next to the Taxi Driver,” is our continuation of Coronavirus-19 issues and lessons.  This one follows on the other one on Buses and Us.  Please read and share. Thank You.  Gabriel C Banda, LUSAKA, March 2020.

 

 

 

Coronavirus: Why We Sit Next to the Taxi Driver

By

Gabriel C Banda

 

EVEN during this time of Coronavirus-19, it is still almost standard in Zambia for a passenger in a motor taxi to sit in front, next to the driver.

Passengers from other countries get surprised that in Lusaka they are to sit next to the driver.

In many parts of the world, the taxi passenger sits at the back. If they are the only passenger on the vehicle, they will sit opposite the side the driver is on.

In Lusaka, some taxis coming from the airport ferrying arrivals will have some passengers at the back seat. But within town, it is the normal to have a passenger next to the driver.

If a passenger tries to sit at the back, some drivers get surprised and sometimes even upset. However, some female passengers in Zambia enforce their right and will sit at the back.

 

Shoulder to Shoulder

 

The common practice in Zambia’s taxis is driver and passenger to sit shoulder to shoulder. However, this is one of those things we do now that were not always done that way. This culture of sitting next to the taxi driver has not always been there. How did this arise in Zambia?

In Lusaka and Zambia, the standard of sitting in front next to the taxi driver emerged as a way of evading traffic authorities. It started with “pirate taxis,” the vehicles that were not registered taxis but did a lot of taxi transport business.

People called them “pirate taxi.” Those days, a big number of taxis were registered.

 

The  Pirates

 

The “pirates” were not registered taxis. They avoided registering as taxi for various reasons that included the mechanical fitness of their vehicle and the fees and charges imposed on official taxis.

Sometimes, the owners of taxis wanted to use the vehicles as private family vehicles when the vehicles were not doing business. The vehicles were private and pirate.

 

Now, to avoid charges and sanctions by police or traffic officials, passengers and drivers sat near each other pretending they were associates and not doing business.

The passenger sat next to the driver so that an impression is given that the passenger is a companion of the driver and is not a client of an unregistered business.

 

Registered

 

Registered taxis had their vehicle registration numbers painted red. They had a box, written “Taxi,” on the roof. These would light up. Registered taxis had writing on them, specifying the number of passengers allowed and the owner’s name and address.

At some point, they also had displayed in big letters on the vehicle body their taxi and transportation registration number. That number was the same for a taxi owner with many taxis and buses. The letters attached to the number showed the town in which the vehicle was registered.

 

Just  Following

 

Eventually, as many times many persons just follow without question what becomes common, even registered taxis began to have a passenger sit next to the driver.

For pirate and even some registered drivers, it was considered aloof and show-off for the passenger to try to sit behind the driver. Some considered it as the passenger trying to behave like some executive high class person using the taxi driver as a low chauffer.

 

Another practice in Lusaka is that of having a team of persons, two to four, perhaps from the same family, travelling together in the same taxi.  One person will sit beside the driver while two or three others will sit at the back seat. They bunch in a taxi.

This is not normal for taxis. It has developed over a period. This may have developed for cost reduction purpose or to move in company with your team members.

If you are many in your team, the ideal is to get more than one taxi instead of four persons squeezing into one.

 

Some persons found these practices of driver-passenger shoulder sitting and group boarding when they were born. These persons do not know that it was not the way before. In the same way, shaking hands in greeting was just a few decades ago not common practice in this part of Africa. So too was the current practice of hugging persons in greeting.

 

Reconditioned

 

Over the years, the “pirate taxis” numbers have increased dramatically. With increased purchase of reconditioned and used vehicles from Japan, motor vehicles are more affordable than before. Many persons, through savings or loans, are able to buy vehicles.

The buyers of vehicles buy them for the purpose of double use as household cars and income generation taxis. Many times they will make them pirate or private taxis because they want to use them privately for the household or because they want to avoid paying various user charges to the authorities.

Many persons, working in various occupations in public and private service, buy cars to employ drivers to use them as unofficial taxis. Various residential areas will have these taxis stationed there.

 

Increased, Abundant

 

The vehicles have become so many that without them, registered taxis cannot handle the number of taxi passengers. The private taxis have become some way of life and big part of the national economy. Without pirate taxis, there would be set backs in travelling.

Without the unregistered taxis, it would be difficult for people to move during emergencies, such as for hospital, and to some places not serviced by registered taxis. Also, the unregistered taxis move beyond the hours that most registered vehicles operate.

For local persons, although they are unmarked, there is no mistaking the average unregistered taxi and its driver.

The unregistered taxis are unofficial yet an essential part of transportation and economy of current times of Zambia.

 

Coronavirus Times

 

Now, my Brothers, my Sisters, during this time of Coronavirus-19, safety in transportation is concern beyond the public mini-buses crowded with passengers. Safety in transportation affects a nation’s health not just through accident injuries and deaths, but in times of infections like the Coronavirus-19.

At this time of Coronavirus-19, taxi drivers are worried about their health and lives. Passengers are concerned about public transport, including taxis.

With the good common concerns, it is easy to work together and immediately find ways for the safety and health of transport crew and passengers.

 

Undo

 

Keeping the distance within the motor vehicle gives social space and is helpful in case of some road accident.

Some current practices have to be undone. Things have not always been this way. We can always unlearn some risky practices and learn other useful ways. It was never the ideal standard to have taxi driver and passenger sit close to each other.

This was some modification for particular reasons, evading the policing Bakapokola and traffic authorities. But that practice is not relevant in the current situation of Coronavirus-19. It can compromise our health and that of our households and the whole world.

For the health of passengers and drivers, it is easy to practice sanitary behaviour with taxis. Both driver and passenger should insist on safe practices. It is easy to create distance between taxi driver and passenger. We should not crowd a taxi or bus. We have to be careful about touching door handles and sanitising.

We should have sanitary practices before and when leaving the transport vehicle. Some of these have already started. It is safe, pleasant, and pleasing, to practise avoidance of infection. It is rewarding now and in the future.

 

ginfinite@yahoo.com

 

Based in Lusaka, Zambia, the writer is independently involved in Social Development, Writing and Arts, and observation of Conflict and Peace issues. For over three decades now, Gabriel C Banda has been researching and writing on the dynamics of Basic Needs and Policies.

 

GCB,

February/March 2020, LUSAKA.

By Thursday, March 26^th, 2020.