First of all, I would like to apology to all my reader and all good respectful bloggers in Oman , but this my opinion and you can take it or leave it , but this time you completely get it wrong and you really misdirecting the youthful energy of our society.
Ps. if you are sensitive and so defensive about what other people view, you already heard enough and you can leave now.
Let’s back up and look at the beginning of the story. In April 2009, new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 was identified, which is officially termed novel H1N1 and colloquially called swine flu. However, the actual outbreak in Oman starts later on the summer when more students were coming back from abroad.
NB. Don’t worry Am not going to talk a lot about H1N1 as I am sure you have heard it and read it million times the last few months
In the beginning I was feeling happy and pleased of the media behavior, was very transparence, and wild open to the society and given full coverage for all the developments. That was the start of the whole story where everyone seems to be an expert matter in this subject. It be came very tasteful and satisfying meal of our media recently. And its FREE ( ie , no RULE ). Such a free tasteful meal was sure to take number one place in the menu of our bloggers and what better than a free meal.
Anyhow, the propaganda starts and grows up and up. It has become that giant shadow that covers every single aspect of our life. You can not shake hand, you can not and can not, and society lived in panic, complete miss leading and over reaction. You see every one going around with hand-stanitizer and some people went over bored and carry face mask.
Don’t miss understand me here, I agree that this very dangerous virus and we have to protect yourself and society , however, lets look at what is this virus is before i go in what I want to say. Lets discus this virus for a minute and am not going to invent the wheel in here am just going to Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page] and write swine flu and extract what is the main symptoms.
"[T]he overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms", but some persons are in higher risk groups, such as those with asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, or who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system"
‘Like other influenza viruses, novel H1N1 influenza is spread by coughing, sneezing, or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the nose or mouth. Symptoms, which last up to a week, are similar to those of seasonal flu, and can include fever, sneezing, sore throat, cough, headache, and muscle or joint pains. To avoid spreading the infection, the CDC recommended that those with symptoms stay home from school, work, and crowded settings; in general, wearing facial masks was not recommended, except in health care settings’
If I read correctly, most of people are not in high risk. Also one major line there facial mask is not recommended.
Anyway, lately the Omani assembly for blogging (personally I never liked the name, although some people think its very creative, but am sorry again my dear blogger you completely get this wrong, I would just call it Oman blogging society, call me classic, backward, whatever but that what it should be called) made a good remarkable thing in alquram beach, by carrying awareness evening in the beach. Anyway and as I said , as its been our favorite meal, the guys decided to have second round !!!!!!!!
Anyway, I am not against that , I actually like it , or liked the idea of volunteering and given something back to the society. However, it has been misdirected toward least important issue. WHY is that, lets have this discussion for a moment. Let’s take the last few months, say the last six months since all this mess started. How many people died from H1N1 in Oman? Am not sure as this subject never satisfied my taste and never follow the news, as I am sure you already labeling me with rebelling and ‘badwen’ , or whatever, but if am not mistaken its around 30.
Now let me ask you, how many people have died from car accident, not in Oman, no I want u to think of people whom you know or from the same town in the same period. Am sure the number will come to the same or more and this in personal level. Just for people who are interesting in statistic. 44 people died and 199 are injured during Eid al-Fitr holiday crashes between September 16-25 bringing the toll to 737 men, women and children killed on Oman's roads since January 1 2009.
Dose this number mean anything to you. Call me whatever you want, but am sure you are missing someone from your live because of car accident. I lived in UK for 6 years I cant even recall the number that I seen car accident. I just came from Europe and I was there for couple of week never seen not even single car accident and guess what!!
When I came to the airport and at the way to home we passed by two car accidents, thankfully they don’t seem so bad.
I know some of you guys might say, and why he is attaching us , H1N1 is dangerous as well. Honestly since day one I never have believed all this propaganda, although I was starting to accept it , but when I went to Europe ( which we all know and rightly believe) that they know better than us, I couldn’t see any panicking not even a worry. Honestly , I was sneezing and had slight cold because of the change in weather, and I thought people will run away from me , but people was sitting next to me in train and tram with no worry.
Let me cut this short, what I want to say here is:
My dear bloggers, stop been lost inside this big propaganda and enough of trying to just taste the meal that everyone like. Let’s concentrate our energy, money and time in something more useful. Let’s make a different in our society. Our society needs us, there are so many aspects in our life that we need to highlight and need to spread the awareness. Also, if you like to be active and volunteer in something, make sure you give your priority and pick what we really need. Put first things first.
In the end, I want to just tell this short story, last weekend while driving home, I passed by one accident, and I saw someone I know a side, so I stopped and walked toward him (cause H1N1 we stop kissing as greeting and instead some people just hug) he hug me as greeting although I felt it more of he like it but in our society feeling weak is forbidden.
Anyway he was so low so I asked him what is wrong was it someone from his family or relative, he said no. he was silent for a moment than he said: I collected his head in my hand. He was only three years old and he was smiling. Wallah (…..) he was smiling.
To be honest I wanted to hug him again but couldn’t cause Its forbidden again
Enough said, read between my lines and you will understand my massage and our road accident will never stop unless we have educated drivers, that where we should concentrate.
My dear Omani bloggers, I challenge you to have a taste of my new meal, toward less car accident. Lets free our mind and lets start somewhere, who know guys you might like this meal as well. I want you all to have this motto and Slogan: “Road safety is my concern”
Ps. If you get to this point, than am really thankful for your patient and I hope you had change of heart and you agree in what I said. Although I know some few pathetic guys from the blogging assembly will never accept it as it sound like a cross for their big red lines and insult for their highness, but who care?!!!!!!!!!!
