stress and other problems

 Yesterday

as I was about to leave the workshop I burst into tears.  

I was as surprised as anyone else.... I am exhausted, I work hard but I am also stoic and just don't breakdown like that.

I am stuck in India, I was supposed to fly to Australia 31.3.20 [ secretly I was relocating to Australia but had not mentioned that to my husband]

I was having lunch with a friend here in Pushkar mid- March and she had had a message from SmartTraveller that there was a health problem and a suggestion Australians might return home.

She had talked to her travel agent/friend who was trying to find details, nothing was clear when we googled Australin Govt sites. The next day the travel agent said she suggested changing tickets and coming home asap. My firend R got a flight out of Delhi via the Middle East to Australia, her travel agent said it was the last seat available and was a rediculous cost. I am so glad she did.

My flight was unable to be changed and the High Commission said shelter in place.

India went into lockdown with 4 hrs notice and it was severe. NO information about what was happening just a policeman at the end of the road with a baton he was happy to use. Hard to get food some days becuase you did not know which 2 hrs you could go to the market and if you went tomorrow at the same time you might get beaten.

Much fear and confusion in our area.

Extremely difficult time- we could not easily go out to buy food but we did cater a few mass feedings- we fed 600 people lunch a few times, we bought groceries for a 150 families- then we were allowed past to buy the food [we had help from generous friends in Australia to do these feedings]  rules were hard to fathom.

Time has gone on, the silver lining is that after years of difficulties my husband and I have actually communicated well and settled a lot of problems.

Relocating to Australia is still a prioity, I want a Grannie House and time to be with my family. 

I want time to breathe and take a moment.

My husband and I will go back to the days before I permanently moved to India 12 years ago and have extended visits back and forth between India and Australia. We have all laernt what we can do with working from home and zoom meetings- my workshop gang , my husband and I can make this work for us.

I have tried hard through out all of this to maintain a positive public face for my gang at the Workshop, for the confidence of our clients who allow us to create thsi Workshop and employment. We have trained and employed nearly 100 people, mostly women and they are doing well. We have had little covid in the area and the permanent, fairly paid work they have had for years meant they have weathered the storm here very well. Our wonderful clients have supported us with continued orders and we have been kept busy.

Our Tours guests, again have been supportive. We had 4 tours booked and ready to go as this happened and all agreed to postpone until next year. They must be feeling as anxious as I am, we have vouchers for all our payments.... but what will the future hold? MAJOR Stresser for me worrying over this, until things open up I can't see what will happen.

I realise Australia is where I refresh and recharge. When I am here I work like a maniac looking after all the people around me, a good thing but a break is necesary to be effective.

Now we come to the complete mess of getting to Australia. After the March shutdown there were no flights, by July some flights started to show up, I though I would be sensible and give the dust time to settle and booked for August and started counting the days.... and hours too, really.

My first airline shutdown so that flight cancelled, second flight booked the same day to fly same date, I got bumped a month out, then a new date a week later in early September, 6 days before I got a phone call from airline saying sorry, we have to change your dates because Australian Governement caps means you don't have a seat. I was given a new date 28.10.20 if the governement opens up the caps.

Since then I have been watching all the media to try and understand what is going on.

Federal Govt- Scomo suggested stranded Australians were the problem, holidaying and not listening

Then he said State Premiers the problem, even though Commonwealth govt is in charge of International borders....

 Premiers saying all types of things, but basically don't ask me, ask him....

Intersting fact the guy who started the website Lift the Caps was interviewed on prime time news in Oz and was phoned by his ariline a few days later offering to bring his ticket forward from Novemeber to 2 days time, 3 months before he was due to fly. How can this be, he askes? Apparently someone in governemt directed the airline to give hime special tratment.

Fair system Australian Goverenment. ???

Now there is a lot of hot air over lifting the caps BUT what is not being covered so well is that the numbers quoted 4000 or even 6000 incoming is not just international returnees but also interstate travellers being quarantined!!

If you are in Australia you have health care, mental healthcare, govet assistance if you are unemployed and fairly much rule of law. Yes I know you might want to be in your home state but whereever you are, if you are in Australia it is pretty good.

If you are stranded overseas you GET no assitance what so ever, no healthcare, mental healthcare or safe place to live.

International and interstate travellers shoulf be under different quarantine allocations and the 6000 places the Govt is talking about should be allocated to International returnees.

Actual number are far higher than the 25/30,000 able to get the DFAT website to list them. Airlines say the lines would be 100,000 plus just from the enquiries they have fielded.

Australian Governement both Federal and Local- 

Is there a waiting list, where am I on the waiting list? will I be allowed by the governement to fly on my booked flight? 

I can understand a line-up, I can wait until my flight comes up BUT not knowing if i will be bumped anytime up until i sit my bottom on that plane is killing me.

The Anxiety is really doing me in, and I do have a plcae to sleep.... what about all those people with nothing. To leave a place you have to pack up your goods, give up your job.

 What do you do if you are bumped on the way to the airport?

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT AS THAT HAPPENS?  just think about it.